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Katz, challenger differ on crime prevention

By: Bartley Kives

Posted: 07/21/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

Winnipeg's top two mayoral candidates have similar ideas about alleviating the city's continuing crime problem -- except when it comes to questions of deterrence and prevention.

In the wake of another depressing report from Statistics Canada, incumbent Mayor Sam Katz and challenger Judy Wasylycia-Leis say the Winnipeg Police Service must deploy its resources more effectively and work more closely with community groups, while the city must do more to support youth programming as an alternative to gang membership.

Katz said Tuesday in an interview Winnipeg's forthcoming police helicopter and cadet program will allow the service to marshall its resources more effectively. In a separate interview, Wasylycia-Leis said she supports police Chief Keith McCaskill's ongoing efforts to free up officers from court and other administrative duties.

Both Katz and Wasylycia-Leis said inner-city community centres and social-welfare organizations deserve more city support because they help keep youths out of gangs.

But the small-C conservative mayor and the former NDP MP disagree about the best way to prevent crime.

Katz wants Ottawa and Manitoba to beef up criminal justice legislation -- and accused Wasylycia-Leis of standing in the way of federal Conservative efforts to enforce existing laws.

"We are living in a society where individuals believe they can get away with violent crimes, and the way laws are enforced, they're correct," Katz said.

In response, Wasylycia-Leis challenged Katz to name a single case where she voted against a piece of Tory legislation that "would have ensured the punishment fit the crime."

The former Winnipeg North MP said Katz is trying to escape blame for a worsening Winnipeg crime situation by shifting the focus to Ottawa.

"This is obviously a much bigger problem than tougher penalties and more jails," she said. "Cities can do something. It's not all about federal law."

Katz, however, insisted he has done more to combat crime since Winnipeg was dubbed Canada's murder capital during the Glen Murray administration.

Auto theft rates have plummeted since he took office in 2004 and McCaskill -- hired in late 2007 -- is only beginning to make the Winnipeg Police Service run more effectively, the mayor said.

"Meaningful change does not take place overnight," Katz said.

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 21, 2010 A4

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