NDP promises crackdown on drug dealers

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/08/2023 (751 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Gangsters who peddle toxic drugs and dominate provincial jails were in the NDP’s crosshairs Thursday.

NDP Leader Wab Kinew promised new policies, legislation and bail reform that target organized crime if his party forms government Oct. 3.

“Stopping crime and creating safer communities requires us to learn lessons from our past, but it also requires a strong response to those who put safety at risk,” Kinew said at a campaign announcement in the Riel constituency, which is currently held by Tory cabinet minister Rochelle Squires, and is one the NDP wants to snag.

The Opposition leader outlined a five-point plan to improve public safety that he described as a “smarter” way to get tough on crime and its causes.

“Part of that approach means working with police, teachers, educators, community patrol organizations to ensure that young people at risk of becoming involved in crime in the future are helped on to a better path,” he said.

“It also means taking concrete steps to crack down on crime and to help police do their jobs to keep our neighbourhoods and our communities safe right across Manitoba.”

An NDP government would implement recommendations on bail reform that were made by the National Police Federation, advocate for changes at the federal level, pass a law that compels a person to explain how they acquired high-value items, and introduce policy changes to limit gang activity in jails.

Kinew also promised to hire 100 mental health professionals at a cost of $12 million annually to work alongside police officers and respond to non-violent calls.

He also pledged to launch a $2.5-million rebate program that would return $300 to private property and business owners who install security features such as alarms, doorbell cameras and motion sensor lights.

“Too often police are responding to a call from someone in a mental health crisis or struggling with addiction. We need more mental health resources in our community, but we also have to help law enforcement respond to the calls that require them, like violence or property crime,” he said.

Justice Minsiter Kelvin Goertzen panned the NDP’s plan by saying it lacks originality.

“It’s astonishing that the NDP is making announcements on things our PC team has already done,” the Steinbach MLA said in a statement. “The NDP voted against these very things in Budget 2023. Does Wab Kinew have any of his own ideas?”

Under the Tories, Manitoba was the first province to enhance legislation “to identify and secure unlawful money before it can become untraceable and disappear,” Goertzen said.

“Saskatchewan has followed Manitoba’s lead and has moved forward with a similar model and legislative amendments. Further, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and B.C. are working collaboratively to create a more robust legislative framework and investigative capacity within our respective civil forfeiture offices with the goal of making unlawful financial gain unprofitable.”

The Tories’ crime strategy will be released closer to the election, Goertzen said.

Kinew said his proposal goes farther than the current Criminal Property Forfeiture Act, which allows the government to launch a civil forfeiture proceeding against property believed to be associated with crime.

He described the proposed legislation as a “proactive investigative tool” to help police form a case against organized crime members and drug traffickers.

“Everything that the PCs have currently implemented is a rear-view mirror. It’s something that can be used around forfeitures and seizures after a case is being prosecuted,” Kinew said.

“We’re also talking about the supports so that law enforcement could conduct these investigations and be able to have the necessary resources to stem the flow of toxic drugs which are coming into Manitoba.”

The government must also do more to disrupt organized crime activity in jails, he said.

“We need to work with the correctional officials and put the pressure on the management so that they let those officers in the institutions do their job and crack down on gangs,” he said.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

Biidaajimowin | News from the Centre

Wednesdays

Sent weekly from the heart of Turtle Island, an exploration of Indigenous voices, perspectives and experiences.

Sign up for Biidaajimowin | News from the Centre

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

His party plans to make additional commitments on correctional facilities this week.

More police officers are needed to address crime and improve response times, Kinew said, and money will be allocated accordingly in the party’s fully-costed platform, which has yet to be released.

Kinew reiterated his party’s pledge to end chronic homelessness within two terms of government and at a cost of $20 million using a “Housing First” model adopted in Houston, Texas.

In July, the Progressive Conservative government said it will spend about $3.4 million annually to convert about 400 private-market rental units to community-based social housing, and $5.8 million annually to provide housing support to people exiting homelessness. It is part of the government’s $126-million homelessness strategy.

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca