Police board chair in favour of any measure that keeps violent offenders off the streets

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Manitoba’s justice minister wants people who commit crimes using a knife to have a tougher chance of getting bail, and the chair of the Winnipeg Police Board says he is supportive of any measure that keeps violent offenders off the streets.

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Earlier this week, Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen issued a statement asking the federal government to amend the Criminal Code to make it harder for knife offenders to get out on bail.

“Too often, those that use knives as weapons have a previous violent history and at times are on bail awaiting trial on offences when they are alleged to have committed another violent crime,” Goertzen said Thursday. “This is frustrating for Manitobans and devastating for those who are victimized.”

Police board chair Coun. Markus Chambers (St. Norbert-Seine River) says that he brought the issue up to the board during an in-camera meeting on Friday.

“The board is supportive, and the service is supportive of measures that would decrease a person’s ability to get back on the street where they’ve been arrested for using or brandishing a weapon of this sort,” Chambers said in a phone interview on Friday.

It’s not just knives that are of concern, it’s any weapon with edged surfaces, Chambers said. Police have been focused on getting guns off the streets, which has resulted in more people using knives, machetes and other weapons to commit crimes, he added.

Chambers said offenders, particularly minors, are out within days or weeks of being charged with a serious crime. He said that sentences should be consistent with those that use guns to commit a crime.

“These are no less in terms of severity in the sense that they have the potential to take human life or to inflict grave injury on an individual,” Chambers said.

Access to bail to get out to commit further crimes should be reviewed and stiffer penalties need to be in place in order to reduce the “revolving door of justice,” Chambers said.

However, University of Winnipeg criminal justice professor Michael Weinrath said there are already things in place to violent offenders from getting out on bail.

“The assumption is always people who’ve been arrested are guilty, so why are we letting them go,” he said.

“The reality is that it’s in our system of justice, you’re innocent until proven guilty. The Crown and police have lots of opportunity to talk about the crime, to talk about their evidence to bring up prior criminal history. And there’s a lot of safeguards already in our bail system to try to ensure that people who represent a risk aren’t going to be released.”

Weinrath also questioned whether those who are committing knife crimes are common re-offenders.

“This is just anecdotal evidence,” he said, referring to Goertzen’s statement. “I’d like to see the data. I’m sure you could find people that are accused of property crimes who are out on bail, who committed a violent crime. But you have to line up the data and assess it. And when you’re talking about making changes to the Criminal Code you need to have some pretty significant evidence.”

In 2021, there were 1,199 crimes committed with the use of knives, according to the annual report from the Winnipeg Police Service.

rstelter@postmedia.com

Twitter: @steltsy94