Keeping communities safe : report and recommendations : Alberta's crime reduction and safe communities task force PDF
Preview Keeping communities safe : report and recommendations : Alberta's crime reduction and safe communities task force
Keeping Communities Safe I Report and Recommendations /dibcrr Government For additional copies, please contact: Alberta Justice Communications 9833- 109 Street Edmonton,AlbertaT5K 2E8 Tel: (780) 427 8530 Fax: (780) 422 7363 Website: www.safecommunities.gov.ab.ca LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY ALBERTA September 27, 2007 Honourable Ron Stevens, QC Deputy Premier Minister ofJustice and Attorney General 208 Legislature Building 10800-97'^ Avenue N.W. Edmonton, AB T5K 2B6 Dear Minister Stevens: As members ofAlberta's Crime Reduction and Safe Communities Task Force, we would like to thank you for the opportunity to address an issue that is of growing concern to individual Albertans, to families and to communities across the province. In the past six months, we met with hundreds ofAlbertans, visited communities from High Level in the north to Lethbridge in the south, listened to heartfelt stories about the impact of crime, saw first hand how devastating that impact can be and heard about some exciting actions already being taken to keep our communities safe. We also learned about related research from across Canada and around the world. All ofthis information, discussion and advice helped shape the recommendations in our report. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all ofthe people who participated and shared their ideas, emotions and hopes with us. In typical Alberta fashion, people did not hold back on either their concerns about crime and safety or their ideas about what needs to be done. As we note in our report, we see our recommendations as an opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of many Albertans. Change cannot and will not happen overnight nor can we expect quick fixes to result in immediate reductions in crime. What we need is a strong commitment, backed up by a province-wide strategy and concerted actions targeted at reducing and preventing crime across this province. As people told us throughout our consultations, the responsibility for reducing crime and making Alberta a safer place belongs to all of us. In our individual and family lives, in our businesses, workplaces, schools and communities, there are steps we can all take to tackle crime and keep our communities safe. Albertans, and especially our children, deserve nothing less. Sincerely, Heather Forsyth, MLA Calgary-Fish Creek Chair, Crime Reduction and Safe Communities Task Force MichaelJ. Boyd, C.O.M. Chiefof Police, Edmonton Police Service Dr. Chester R. Cunningham, C.M., A.O.E., LLD. Susan D. Hughson, Q.C. Appellate Counsel, Alberta Justice Ric Mclver Alderman, City ofCalgary Reeve, Clearwater County Professor, Faculty of Law, University ofAlberta Jennifer Scheible Executive Senior Peer Counselor, Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre Karen Venables Director, DEVIN Foundation Table of Contents 1. Executive summary 4 2. Purpose and approach 12 3. How safe areAlberta's communities? 14 4. What doAlbertansthink about crime and safety? 24 5. What can we learn from others? 32 6. What needsto be done? 40 7. Next steps 70 8. Concluding comments 72 Appendices Appendix 1: Consultation dates and locations and submissionstotheTask Force 74 Appendix 2: Risk and Protective Factors 75 Appendix 3: Police Reported Crime Statistics inAlberta 76 3 summary Executive There aretwo sidestothe Alberta story on crime and safety. On the one hand, there's a dark story manyAlbertans may not want to hear about or acknowledge. Ourcrime rates are higherthan the rates in many other provinces in Canada. Violent crime continuesto be a serious problem. Crime isn't confined to the larger centres but affects virtually every community, large and small, all acrossthe province. Overthe pastsix months, ourTask Force learned that: • Crime is having a serious impacton ourqualityof life. It's hurting everyone: ourfamilies, our children, our elderly, our disadvantaged and vulnerable people. It causesAlbertans to worry about safety in their homes, neighbourhoods and communities. Something needsto be done. • Crimetouchesfartoo many people.We heard heartfelt storiesfrom a young sixyearold worried aboutgangsand graffiti,from parentsofyouths killed bysenselessviolence, police dealing with escalating drug use and abuse, andAboriginal communities struggling with the devastating impactofcrime, poverty, alcohol and drug addictionsand the proliferation ofgangs.All ofthese stories are real and they need to be addressed. • Drug and alcohol abusetakes a terrible toll and, directly or indirectly, it is atthe heart of manycrimes.The"workhard, playhard" culturethathasdeveloped inAlberta isadangerous one. It's more than justthe abuse of alcohol and drugs- it's the attitude that excessive drinking and the recreational use ofdrugs are acceptable in oursociety.Thatattitude has to change.The negative effect spreads beyond the individuals involved to theirfamilies and to the entire community. And drugs are the basic bread and butter for gangs and organized crime in the province. • The currentcriminaljustice system is notworking. People areworking hard and some new approaches are producing good results. Butwe're not meetingAlbertans' expectations. They expect offendersto be dealtwith quickly and appropriately.They expectthe most serious offendersto get punishmentthatfits the crime.They expect people-especially young people-with addictionsto gettreatmentsothey don't haveto resortto crime to feed their habits.They expecttheircommunitiesto be safe. • The system is fractured - in fact, some would say it's not really a system at all. Police, the courts, social workers, mental health workers and community agencies are working independentlywhen they should be sharing the same objectives. People are charged and convicted ofcrimes while their underlying problems ofdrug and alcohol addictions and mental illness-problemsthatfuel theircriminal activities-are given "band-aid" treatment at best. • There'saseriousproblemwith repeatoffenders.Too manyofthesamepeoplearecommitting crimes over and over again and the system is like a revolving door. Repeat offenders are caught, charged and released, onlyto committhe same crimes again. • There isn'tenough being doneto preventcrime. Starting young and addressing the factors thatputchildren and youth atriskisa proven strategyand onethatwill havethe best results in the longerterm. • Preventing crime and improving safety isn't something government orthe courts orthe police can do alone, norwill it happen overnight.Albertans need to take responsibility at all levels.This isabout individuals,families and communities stepping up and recognizing that many ofthe factorsthatcontributeto crime are within theirown hands. The other side ofthe story is much more positive. It reveals the hope, spirit and strength of Albertans combined with their genuine interest and commitmentto improve our quality of life and make our communities better places to live. It's about communities taking action, tackling problems, supporting families and achieving positive results. It's aboutthe provincial government supporting communities and social agencies, investing in enforcement and supporting initiativesto preventand reducecrime.And it's aboutthevast majority offamilies, children andyouthwho areengaged, productiveand positivecontributorstotheircommunities and toAlberta. summary Executive continued How do we reconcile these two stories? The answer istwofold. First, we need to be tough on people who connmit crimes in Alberta, especially those who commitcrimes overand over again.The costs ofcrime are high and the impact on victims is devastating.Whilethe majority ofourcriminal laws are set bythe federal government,they needto heara clearsignal fromAlbertansthatconsequencesforcrimes should be swift,just and much more meaningful forvictims, offenders and societythan whatwe seetoday.Within the aspects ofthe criminal justice system managed byAlberta, every effortshould be made to tackle the most serious and prevalent crimes, enforce our laws and reverse the trends, especially around violent crimes. Second, andjustas important,we needto gettough onthefactorswe knowcontributedirectly to crime. Pure common sense-backed up by consistent research -tells usthatthe onlyway to put a substantial dent in the $5 billion in direct and indirect costs ofcrime inAlberta each year isto prevent more people from committing crime in the first place.That means putting a top priority on children, youth,families and communities. Setting priorities Our recommendations are intendedto strike a balance between actions directed atthosewho commit crime and actions designed to preventcrime before it happens.The starting point is five priority areas. Drug and alcohol addictions Taking action totreat addictions, enforce current laws and counterAlberta's "work hard, play hard" culture, especially in rapidlygrowing resource-based communities,will payoffin reduced crime and safercommunities. Laws and the courts It'stime to reinforce existing laws, introduce new ones to tackle pressing issues and make surethe courts are dealing with offenders quickly and appropriately. Families, children and youth This iswhere we havethe bestchance of preventing crime before it happens- by supporting families, building positive skills in children and youth and getting them the supportthey need beforethey get in trouble with the law. Policing Policework hard in ourcommunitiesto help keep us safe.They respond to crime and enforce the law.Their very presence, their involvement and commitment to communities, is also fundamental to a proactive approach for preventing crime. Not only do we need more police to deal with a growing population butwe need to supporttheiractionsto improve reporting, target repeat offenders and address issues in high crime areas. Community action The best solutionswill come when communities and community agencies worktogetherto tackle issues in their neighbourhoods and make community safety a priority. Recommendations Drug and alcohol addictions 1. Significantly increasethe number oftreatment bedsfor alcoholism,drug addiction and a dual diagnosis ofboth mental illnessand drug addiction 2. Ensurethatat-riskchildren,youth and young adults haveaccesstofull-time, longer-term, intensetreatmentforaddictions and mental illnesses.Thiswould includethe expansion ofthe mandatory length oftimechildren apprehended underthe Protection ofChildren AbusingDrugsActcan be requiredto remain in treatment. 3. Requiretougherenforcementofthecurrent lawsand regulations underAlberta's Gaming andLiquorAct 4. Develop and implement a targeted social marketing campaign to counter excessive drinking and use ofdrugs 7 summary Executive continued Laws and the courts 5. Expand accessto specialized courts including domesticviolencecourts,drugtreatment courts and mental health courts and increase available treatmentto facilitatethe coordinated approach used bythesecourts 6. Adopta Safe NeighbourhoodsActexpandingthepowersofmunicipalitiestotacklecrime and improvesafetyintheircommunities 7. Clarifytherulesand removebarrierstosharing essential information,including information aboutsuspected criminal offences 8. Develop,enactand enforcelegislation allowingtheprovincetoseize moneyand property gainedthroughtheproceedsofcrimeandusethoseresourcestofundvictimcompensation, crime prevention and crime remediation programs 9. RequireCrown prosecutorsto beinvolved in bail applicationsbeforejusticesofthe peace atthetimeofarrestand undertakea complete reviewofthecurrentsystemtoensure it is meetingthe needsofail stakeholders 10.Streamlinethecriminaljustice process 11. Track and reporton key indicators ofthe results ofthecriminaljusticesystem inAlberta (e.g. use of diversion and its outcomes, delays in court proceedings, bail application results, length ofsentences, breaches ofcourtordersandthe outcomes,guilty pleasto lessercharges,etc.) 12. Ensure meaningful consequences for criminal activity through closer monitoring of offenders, expanding the use of effective approachesto custody and requiring strict compliancewith the conditions of release Families, children and youth 13. Providemandatory,earlyand ongoing educationforchildren andyouthto buildtheirskills and reducethe risks ofthem getting involved in gangs, drugs,violence or other crime 14. Ensurethat schools have accessto both a school resource officer and to adequate counselling services
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