Heartbreaking Crime and Proactive Policing
Over the last decade, Canada has moved away from proactive law enforcement, in favour of a more passive approach to policing, which has been a disaster.
Earlier this week, in North York, a 71-year-old woman went grocery shopping. Over the course of seven decades, she likely made hundreds of similar trips to the grocery store, maybe thousands. She walked through the aisles, purchased her items, and checked out as usual.
In the parking lot, she approached her vehicle to unload her groceries. There was a time in Canada when a grocery store employee would have helped her with her bags, but that kind of customer service from most grocery stores is long gone.
While in the parking lot, she was attacked in broad daylight. At around 9:30am, an unknown suspect stabbed her in what police have called an “unprovoked” incident, based on the surveillance video.
She died in the hospital from her wounds. The investigation is ongoing.
Reading about this incident left me heartbroken. I do not bring this case to your attention to needlessly politicize it, but I do bring it to your attention because it is a sad, troubling reminder that action is needed by governments to keep our communities safe. I would like to share some thoughts on what can be done by the federal government to help proactively prevent heartbreaking crimes like this, where possible.
The word "proactively" is intentional here. In the world of community safety, it carries significant meaning, as "proactive" reflects an approach to law enforcement where police officers are visible, community engagement is a priority, and officers are encouraged to address lawlessness and social disorder before it escalates into more serious crime. Over the last decade, Canada has moved away from proactive law enforcement, in favour of a more passive approach to policing.
In 2018, former Ontario Provincial Police commissioner Chris D. Lewis wrote in support of proactive policing. He argued in Blue Line, “Proactive policing should be a big part of what officers do. It shouldn’t simply be responding to radio calls. Conducting high visibility patrols, checking out suspicious people in suspicious circumstances, interacting with vulnerable people and preventing crime and victimization — these are all critical roles for police officers.”
To be charitable, the shift toward more passive policing over the last decade may have been partly influenced by genuine concerns over discrimination or a desire to protect civil liberties. But this change was also largely determined by a political agenda that sought to vilify police officers and de-legitimize Canada’s justice system.
Look at the policy reports being produced for the Department of Justice, paid for by your tax dollars, and you will see what I mean. Reports like “A Road Map for Transformative Change” provide a window into the anti-police, pro-social disorder ideologies that have permeated the federal government. The disastrous results of these ideologies are clear in honest, independent statistical analyses, such as the Macdonald-Laurier Institute's report on urban crime.
Police unions, victims' rights groups and other proponents of community safety have spent years asking for justice system reforms. Their requests come from a recognition that it is federal government policy that strongly influences the conditions that local police officers are operating within.
The federal government determines criminal law, including bail requirements and sentencing, and must hold the Director of Public Prosecutions accountable. All these responsibilities can be managed in a manner that either encourages or discourages proactive policing. Currently, the federal government is having a discouraging effect, which is a key problem for law enforcement across the country.
As a Member of Parliament, it is often my job to figure out how to translate the experiences of my constituents into actions the government can take to make life better for all of us. The issue of crime has come up several times in the last few weeks alone. In Oshawa, a local business owner was violently attacked at her restaurant. Video footage of the assault went viral online. In Clarington, a mother issued a warning to parents after her daughters encountered suspicious men following them from their school bus stop.
There is a roadmap for how the current federal government can help, but the federal government must first acknowledge where they are undermining community safety and have the humility to reconsider their own decisions and ideologies.
My heart goes out to the loved ones of the victim in North York, and the loved ones of all victims of violent crime. We will keep fighting for you, and for justice.