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RCMP need more cash: ministers

DNA analysis too slow, database needs updating

By: Bruce Owen

Posted: 02/3/2011 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

From left: Barry Penner, Andrew Swan, Yogi Huyghebaert and Frank Oberle present united front. (WAYNE.GLOWACKI@FREEPRESS.MB.CA)

WESTERN Canadian justice ministers want more support from Ottawa so the RCMP can do a better job and they don't want any kid-glove tinkering with the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

That was the main message from the four provincial ministers responsible for law and order at their meeting Wednesday in Winnipeg.

They also said they want a greater say in the Harper government's plan to toughen up Canada's impaired-driving laws, such as bringing in random roadside breath-testing and targeting more drivers who do drugs and drive.

"Ultimately, it is up to us to administer and to prosecute those cases," Manitoba Attorney General Andrew Swan said. "We want to make sure that whatever rules the federal government makes, that it is something that is comfortable to the provinces."

Joining Swan were British Columbia's Barry Penner, Alberta's Frank Oberle and Saskatchewan's D.F. (Yogi) Huyghebaert.

The first priority, Swan and Penner said, is making sure Ottawa understands the national police force needs to be properly funded. Each of the western provinces relies on the Mounties for front-line policing, forensic testing and maintaining Canada's criminal background database.

Penner said in his province there are delays in turnaround times for fingerprint and DNA analysis, and updating the national Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) database of criminal records.

"That's a concern to us," Penner said. "The sooner you can get the results of fingerprints or DNA analysis or make use of an up-to-date CPIC system to track criminal records across the country, the sooner police can bring people to justice and bring them before the courts."

Every police agency in Canada relies on CPIC to "run names" of people pulled over in traffic stops and check names of suspects in other investigations.

Swan said he and his peers are also concerned about Ottawa's plan to revamp the Youth Criminal Justice Act under Bill C-4.

If approved, the changes would make it tougher for judges to keep young offenders in custody. Only those charged with more serious offences such as murder would see bail refused. Judges would also be encouraged to hand out more deferred-custody sentences, the equivalent of an adult conditional sentence. The Crown would have a tougher time arguing a youth deserved an adult sentence.

Swan said western provinces have had more problems with youth crime -- such as auto theft --and need the tools to hold chronic young offenders accountable.

bruce.owen@freepress.mb.ca

-The RCMP have a contract to police about 99 per cent of Manitoba.

-They have policing responsibility for about 446,000 people, including residents in 22 rural communities and seven First Nations.

-Mounties have 52 detachments in the province, with more than 1,000 officers and about 300 civilian employees.

-The provincial contract was worth $130 million in 2009-10.

-The current contract ends March 31, 2012.

Source: RCMP "D" Division

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 3, 2011 A3

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