Mayor takes city’s case for bail reform to Parliament Hill

The federal government must act now to ensure the bail system doesn’t undermine public safety and confidence in the justice system, according to Mayor Scott Gillingham.

At a House of Commons standing committee meeting in Ottawa Tuesday, the mayor called for multiple reforms to reduce the risk of repeat offenders.

“Our justice system doesn’t even acknowledge the moral possibility that releasing a habitual criminal to reoffend could be considered wrongful bail. We can’t operate as if victims of preventable crimes by known offenders are just collateral damage,” said Gillingham.

The mayor has repeatedly argued that change is needed to ensure the safety of the public is prioritized.

Some front-line emergency, transit, health-care and retail staff have been left reeling from threats and attacks by repeat offenders, raising the need for changes that reduce that risk, he said.

“For too many years, Winnipeg has also been a violent crime capital. With the right laws and the right strategies, I know that we can change that,” said Gillingham.

Specifically, he called for federal legislation to: increase the consideration of public safety in bail hearings; remove statutory release for repeat offenders who violate probation conditions; improve rehabilitation and bail-enforcement measures; and enhance data collection and transparency on crimes committed while on bail.

Last month, the mayor began releasing weekly bulletins about repeat offenders to highlight his call for bail reform. The first bulletin revealed that a Winnipeg offender in his mid-20s was convicted of 24 violent crimes over 11 years and violated bail or probation conditions 12 separate times.

“We can’t operate as if victims of preventable crimes by known offenders are just collateral damage.”

Gillingham told the committee many municipalities share concerns about repeat offences. In a press release, he noted Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett will release similar bulletins.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has promised to introduce legislation this week that would make it tougher for an accused charged with a violent crime or an offence linked to organized crime to get bail.

The bill would impose a reverse onus on bail for certain offences, requiring the accused to justify pre-trial release. And it would allow for consecutive sentences for violent and repeat offenders.

Gillingham said he’s hopeful such changes would address his concerns.

“We’ve heard from the federal government (that) the legislation to much of what I’m asking for here is imminent and, if so, it can’t come soon enough,” he said.

Gillingham said the current system has led some Winnipeggers to lose faith in the justice system.

“When there’s violent incidents, we need to use all tools possible to separate the perpetrators from the potential victims,” he said.

In an interview, the mayor stressed efforts to rehabilitate people convicted of crimes also warrant attention and, possibly, more investment.

“I’m not a ‘throw people in jail and throw away the key’ (person)… I believe that people can be reformed and set on the right path…. We need to ensure that there are the right resources invested in rehabilitation for people in prison,” he said.

Meanwhile, some speakers to the Commons committee expressed concern that the changes could disproportionately hurt Indigenous people, who are already over-represented in the justice system and can face barriers to following bail conditions.

“For too many years, Winnipeg has also been a violent crime capital. With the right laws and the right strategies, I know that we can change that.”

“Homelessness, poverty, trauma, addictions and systemic discrimination make it harder for First Nations to meet bail conditions. Lacking a fixed address, surety or access to treatment becomes grounds for denial, not for support,” said Terry Teegee, regional chief of the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations.

Teegee said he fears broad, punitive reforms will deepen inequities in the justice system while failing to address the root causes of crime.

“We are deeply concerned about the government’s proposed legislation… These reforms threaten to erode the presumption of innocence and expand reverse onus provisions, forcing accused persons to prove they deserve bail,” he said.

— With files from the Canadian Press

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

X: @joyanne_pursaga