Cold Lake city council will have an in-depth conversation about the justice system and how municipalities can pressure the provincial and federal governments to take meaningful action on reform.
At the June 10 meeting, council reviewed stats showing one local offender had 165 interactions with RCMP and municipal enforcement in 15 months. 45 charges with 58 percent of them later withdrawn by the Crown.
Mayor Craig Copeland said the numbers make it clear that change is needed and must involve all levels of government. “The federal government is discussing changes to the bail system and while this is a small step in the right direction, it will be insufficient by itself.”
Copeland said that current approaches are doing little to prevent repeat offenders.
“The issue is that prolific offenders are being allowed to reoffend without fear of any consequences. The only consequences of criminal behaviour today are felt by the victims – people who must deal with stolen of damaged property, trespassing, assaults, and so on,” he said. “The permissiveness being shown to these crimes is creating fertile ground for an escalation in criminal behaviour, and that is exactly what we are seeing.”
Council heard the court system including the Crowns prosecutors’ office, is frustrated by the local attempts to enforce bylaws, no trespassing laws, and maintaining public peace and safety. While the city refuses to drop municipal charges, judges have allowed the accused to pay fines at their own connivence and without any deadline or penalties.
Council was told that prosecutors will often drop charges due to the number of cases, the suspects past with trauma, mental health and addictions. As well as their willingness to seek treatment, or because they feel like the charge isn’t in the public interests.
“The issue with triaging charges is that the worse things get, then more and more serious charges are seen as not worth the courts’ or prosecutors’ time,” Copeland said. “Dropping charges seems to be an easy way out for the judicial system. But this allows the accused to play lip service to the courts and offend the next day, with no appeals that can be lodged against the courts.”
“The more we pay attention, it also seems as though the law is being applied inconsistently and then only when the system has the resources to do so. This can only be defined as a failure of the system and it needs to be taken seriously before things are beyond repair,” Copeland added.
Council will be bringing the discussion forward at a future Corporate Priorities Meeting.
