Collaboration key to building safer communities

Winnipeg North

Since the last election in 2025, Prime Minister Carney has ushered through Parliament more legislation dealing with getting tougher on crime than any other Prime Minister in generations, all in one year.

From bail reform that will make it harder to get bail for serious repeat offenders to lawful access that will deal with issues like extortion and child exploitation to re-instating numerous mandatory minimum jail sentences and spousal coercion to hate motivated crimes and protecting public spaces like faith and community facilities. If you are interested in any or all the legislation that I have referenced please let me know.

The federal government cannot do it alone, provinces and cities also have to take actions. Safe neighbourhoods and cities do not happen by accident. Co-operation, transparency, and accountability are a shared responsibility when it comes to making our communities safe.

For most people think first of our police officers when they think of public safety. Police are the first responders and they are on the front lines, responding to emergencies, investigating crimes, and where possible preventing crimes. Winnipeg Police Service is all about “Building safe and healthy neighbourhoods through excellence in law enforcement, protection, and crime prevention.” Note that it is the City of Winnipeg that is responsible for hiring and providing the supports needed to have an effective police force.

Once an arrest has been made, the responsibility is then transferred to our courts. Not only are the courts financed by our provincial governments in most part, but most judges are also appointed by our provinces. Judicial independence is a fundamental requirement of our democracy. To be clear, provincial governments are responsible for administering justice within their respective provinces. That also includes the hiring of Crown prosecutors and it is our Crown prosecutors that make the cases before the courts.

Jails and correctional facilities are there to incarcerate people who have broken the law and they also provide opportunities for rehabilitation as prisoners will be released into the public at some point. Both the Parliament of Canada and the Manitoba government build and support jails and correctional facilities

The only way to build stronger and healthier communities from a crime perspective is to encourage/promote that the federal, provincial, and municipal governments collaborate and take full responsibility for the role each of them play. As governments take responsibility it is also important to recognize the efforts of non-profits and pro-active community members that also are so important to safer communities.

The Prime Minister has made it clear that Ottawa has a strong role to play when it comes to people having confidence in our justice system and that is why we have made changes to the criminal code and more.