Catch and Release of Repeat Offenders Jeopardizing Public Safety

Catch and Release of Repeat Offenders Jeopardizing Public Safety

Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser

Policing and public safety is something the Town of Vegreville discussed at length during council’s February 22 meeting.

Councillor Ann Waters stated, “I know we’re frustrated seeing the same people time and again in and out of jail, the repeat offenders. I can only imagine the frustration of the RCMP. They’re seeing the same thing, for lack of a better term, the catch and release.” Coun. Waters said she felt the Community Impact Statement Program would be important to have and utilize in the Town of Vegreville. She also hope’s it’s not one of those programs the government introduces and does not follow up on.

Councillor Marielle Brodziak agreed. “We definitely need to look into that, to start doing that, so our community is heard and how this is impacting our community.”

Councillor Tina Warawa concurred, and would like the Province to provide more information as well as demonstrate how they can implement the program at the local level. Coun. Waters added, “I’d be curious to see how that rolls out.”

Mayor Tim MacPhee informed members of council that he is working with Community Services Director Phil Rowe on what the best approach would be in consultation with local RCMP.

Ann Waters

MARIELLE BRODZIAK

TINA WARAWA

Tim MacPhee

They are also talking about having an app. “It’s a free app on your phone and the police are going to endorse it. And we’ll know about any criminal activity that is happening around us. Even when you’re moving through Alberta you can turn on your app and you will know in the town you go through if there’s a crime being committed right now.”

MacPhee said they hope to bring forward more information regarding that and the Community Impact Statement Program in the next couple of meetings of town council.

MacPhee stated during a telephone interview that he’s brought up the catch and release issue before with the Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Kaycee Madu. “I wrote to the Justice Minister and he’s basically told me that there’s nothing that the Province can do, which is hogwash. We are going to read those community impact statements and we’re going to read them when their hearing comes up and try convince the judges that these people are not good for our community, and that’s what we’re doing right now.

He went on to say, “We’re no different than any other municipality. We are all seeing the same thing and we’re getting a little tired of it, and it’s going to come to a powder keg pretty soon within our community.

I brought it up before that we’re seeing the same criminals, but their charges are going up, and now they’re almost always attached with a firearms charge. So, no matter what it has not been working, releasing them, releasing them. They’re still committing the same crimes. They’re still selling the same drugs. The only thing now is that they are carrying loaded weapons.

And if the Justice Department of the Province wants to use, hide behind some federal laws or blame it on the feds, when we know the best approach is to fix it yourself. Waiting for another level of government to fix the problem for you is never a good solution.”

While it’s not the normal job of a municipality to worry about this, MacPhee said, it is becoming a large problem in our community. “People are getting scared. People are getting nervous. Something bad is going to happen if we have this element freely going in and out of the community whenever they want, and they know that there’s going to be no punishment other than a couple of days in jail and longer probation. They get longer probation and the next day they are breaking their probation. There’s no consequences and that’s the problem.”