Crime is Number 1 Issue this Civic Election

It isn't just hysterical media. Tom Broadbeck says crime was worse in Glen Murray's time. It was. We were in an arson and car theft death spiral. It declined by 2014 through better car theft protections from manufacturers and focused police efforts. Likewise, the arson squad arrested some of the worst repeat offenders and it helped. We are about to head back to school in days and you have to wonder: Are we headed for an ever worse crisis?

Safe to say that hard drugs is likely the the culprit in the rise of violent and non-violent crime we are seeing post pandemic now.  And what is getting people is that police response time is just not where it needs to be. Case in point. CTV was reporting a fireworks retailer at 4 PM has an alarm going off, the owners on the phone with 911 and an employee hiding in a backroom while someone is able to go methodically through every drawer to steal as they please. The 911 operator did not believe the threat and the police did not respond. On the same weekend a father posted to TikTok how his 14 year old son and his friends were robbed of their backpacks and possessions and still faced assault with a hammer. The 911 operator argued with the father and said police could not come to every assault. They eventually showed up at 1 AM to talk to the sleeping traumatized son.

Bike theft is not even reported anymore by many because the solution rate to the crime is tiny. The police did arrest two in River Heights who had four bikes and other contraband with one heck of a lot of weapons. One had an outstanding warrant. Excellent work.  Hopefully they are not out Monday and back at it. And hope that some people who had their bikes stolen recover them.

This should not reflect on individual police but if we are at emergency readiness every minute of every day, the police chief should call a news conference and state what he needs. We need answers. What should the response time be? Are we in a state of emergency? Do we need 50 more officers, 100 more officers, 500 more officers?

And city candidates, we about to head into the first days of September this week. What are you going to do about it? What? Random murders are happening. Police shootings. Break-ins and theft all over the city. We cannot have people hiding in bedrooms, backrooms and behind counters with no police response. The holidays are over. It is starting to feel like a war and we are losing.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - Official Trailer | Prime Video September 2

Possibly one of the most expensive series ever shot. Beautiful to look at but will it have the heart of the movies?

Reliable Sources Cancelled 2022

Ever since I returned from Japan, I have watched Reliable Sources through three host starting with Bernard Kalb in 1993 on CNN. Ted Turner as founder of the cable network wanted the lens turned on the media. This was a response to the Gulf War where questions about the reliable information in the war and decisions leading to the war were being asked. Embedding with troops, limitations on media and access issues were all being thought of.

The upstart network founded in 1980 as the first 24 hour cable news station swept the U.S. and by 1982 was in Canada along with its sister station CNN Headline News. It would be a mistake to think the networks took a cable news newcomer sitting down. From 1981 to 1983, ABC, NBC and CBS would all install what was likely the most powerful anchors and news teams ever assembled. Peter Jennings at ABC, Tom Brokaw at NBC and Dan Rather at CBS would command their network programming and put time in coverage that rivalled CNN for marathon hours.

The 1980s were an embarrassment of riches for news in print, radio and television. But it also drew attention to how the media could be manipulated and fed misinformation by the sources and sometimes by their own news teams. Questions about ownership and direction of the news rooms and and cost cutting as a result of mergers began to occur more often. Bernard Kalb was one such man. Going from journalism to a position within the Regan Administration, he quit over the disinformation campaign against Libya's leader Gadhafi. He returned to journalism and later was the perfect host for when Reliable Sources began in 1993.

CNN had established its immediacy during the Gulf War in 1991 when Bernard Shaw, former ABC correspondent and his team John Holliman and Peter Arnett covering the start of bombardment in Baghdad by American missiles. The network also showed a bit earlier too that it could be controversial when Shaw as questioner in the 1988 debate asked Michael Dukakis if he would still support the death penalty if his wife Kitty was raped and murdered. Some people believe that Dukaksis did not show enough outrage to the question and answered it with logic and thereby missed the point of the question. CNN did what other journalist did not want to do: Be provocative and perhaps inflammatory to get an emotional response. Or more accurately, a human response.

The above examples and how news teams do their reporting and where they get it from was and has been ripe for examination. Even for good journalism can be manipulated from within and from without. Bernard Kalb was good at introducing the discussion. Other media followed suit and there was a more fulsome discussion of how the sausage was made. Kalb retired in 1998 and is 100 years old this year.

One company that was cutting edge on media reporting was the Washington Post who had Howard Kurtz covering that area among other assignments. It became a natural thought to assume he might be the person to replace Kalb. He had the job from 1998 to 2013 and I found it was instructive on standards and performance of media including CNN.

It was around 2010 that Kurtz left the Washington Post and then was working both at the Daily Beast and Reliable Sources. So much money was involved back then, Huge sums. And a whole bunch of start-ups like Politico were luring reporters away from other media. It was around 2013 that Kurtz became the source of controversy as a result of a NBA player coming out. Another incident where a source was incorrectly identified led to Kurtz leaving the Daily Beast and CNN as well. He went to FOX and began Media Buzz which was put up in competition against Reliable Sources.

I personally did not note Reliable Sources being anything but instructive during Kurtz's helming. I only learned years after the pull of big money to capture the online news world and how it could lead to cutthroat and mercenary behaviour on the part of far too many people. And a lot of that was not known or revealed with near enough candour.

The third and final host of Reliable Sources emerged from the New York Times but his coverage of media started even earlier than that in high school with a blog on media that became an industry must for following. Brian Stelter came to host in 2013 and was probably the first to come to the job specifically tied to media journalism. That is to say that he didn't work at other journalist assignments like Kalb and Kurtz had over decades.

To be clear I found Reliable Sources to be a professional show at all times. Most viewers interested in media would value the insight. I know I did. Over the many years, Sunday was a day to reflect on issues, politics and media for American TV. Meet the Press, This Week, Reliable Sources, FOX Sunday and Face the Nation have all been around decades.

In Canada, the Sunday political show Question Period has been a mainstay since 1967 and has had  many good hosts. Global has had the West Block since 2011. CBC has had a few things mostly confined to their news network such as Sunday Scrum but also The Weekly with Wendy Mesley from 2018 to 2020. Now they have Rosemary Barton Live. If there is a weak performer here, it is CBC. They should have had an analytical show on Sunday for decades but they never seem to have the commitment.

The battle in the U.S. among networks reflected the polarized politics in the United States. Cable networks staked out places on the spectrum and more opinion shows emerged. News divisions that such reported the days event were squeezed by political shows back to back. Such huge sums of money were being made and provocative disinformation was rampant. Stelter focused a lot on the lies which raised the ire of the FOX network. It made for great ratings for both networks to take potshots at one another. Stelter lived very publicly which generated hostility from some, especially in Republican circles. They wanted him gone. Or at least said so. The culture wars make for good ratings. But it can be fickle as witnessed by how the ratings sag when the message can't be sustained.

I'll miss Reliable Sources because we need more media analysts. It will be curious to see where CNN will go next. I think we will see less wall to wall political coverage. Even FOX is not showing every speech Trump makes now. In the past, it was all cable news companies showing Trump's plane coming in and waiting hours for the speech. It consumes a lot of time but is the wait newsworthy? There are certainly times like 9/11 or a Hurricane Katrina where cable news networks have the immediacy to inform and offer insight.

If CNN decides to beef up news coverage across the U.S. and the world, it could change the dynamic considerably. For example, more bureau reports from around the U.S. is something that can be newsworthy instead for three hours blocks of time devoted to politics every day. I'm always amazed that network news in the U.S. are able to put such high quality into a 30 minute newscast.

Let's not forget that CNN has done a lot in lifestyle reporting too with shows like Anthony Bourdain that were widely popular. FOX has no easy counter for that. CNN Films can do historical look backs at culture, politics and people to great effect. There is still room for political shows but put people in a  room together. It is a little harder to insult a person over and over in a studio where they are sitting opposite you versus talking in a monologue with only you in the studio with no consequences of someone calling you out.

Freedom of the Press is required for a functioning democracy. I hope I have not seen the last of it and good programming that analyzes the world around us.

Civic Election in Winnipeg 2022 - Part 3

Another tough few weeks for crime. Two homicides to add to a possible record year.

Starting last Friday a stolen car rams police and takes off with pursuit called off. Police were not finished with the subject though as they located them the next day. While executing a search warrant, they located the man and a 10 hour stand-off took place. This is important because police were short all weekend from responding to some other things. The man eventually gave up and faces a load of charges.

In another incident on the same street of Langside, policed executed a search warrant for guns. Suspect led them on a foot chase

Two uniformed Transit workers off duty and near where the Fort Rouge Transit workplaces are were assaulted. Suspect is still out there.

Around the same time someone was assaulted last Saturday on the Osborne Bridge. Police are asking for help with any witnesses.

Various homeowers in St. James and River Heights are confronted and in one case assaulted by break and enter thieves. No police immediate police response. The reason is that they are involved in ever growing multiple officer involved violent incidents.

At midnight last week a 15 year old tried to hold up five people twice with a gun. They fled the first time and the second time stood their ground. He was overpowered by and held for police. The gun was a realistic air pistol.

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Who will you vote for in the the upcoming city election? Me? I haven't a clue. 

The mayor's seat is open with Brian Bowman not seeking a third term.

My council seat in St. James is open as the Councillor Scott Gillingham is seeking the mayor's job. It has five registered candidates including one former Councillor and one former mayoral candidate.

For the mayor's job we have 14 candidates including a few Councillors, former mayoral candidates, former MP, former political leader and former mayor.

It is still very early and candidates are still announcing their candidacy and often people don't pay too much attention until after Labour Day. The problem is the fall is so busy and election day will come fast and undecided voters like myself will still be sifting through candidates.

There are five weeks left to the cut off for nominations so some Councillors with no challengers have till then to find out of they are acclaimed. I am not keen on acclamation. Only one time in my ward when I was back in school did that happen. The Councillor was well respected but it struck me as a failure to have an open discussion of ideas. Incumbency scares off would be candidates who have to step down from jobs, sometime permanently to run. I'm not for term limits but is there no way to support a run if a candidate gets a certain percentage of vote?

The real power in civic government lies with the province. And when the province refuses to meet as we saw with the Pallister government, it is hard to run and finance the city or make legislative changes aside from by-laws. Pallister at the stroke of a pen was going to eliminate elected school boards for boards appointed by him. It was probably this move that led to the revolt in his party. Notwithstanding the fact that school boards have the lowest voter turnout and control hundreds of millions, the decision to end them with appointed people loyal to the premier brought out anger.

In Canada, the constitution says local government is the "creature of the provinces" which means we play by rules set by the government of the day. When we vote and what powers our elected officials have are all decided by the province. Education is a shared area with the province which till recent years was largely funded by property tax. The province like much of Canada is moving away from that model but it will take years. 

I am looking at whether candidates are firmly rooted in reality. This doesn't mean they can't have vision but if they say they will end homelessness, or cut waste from city government, they had better indicate how. I understand there is a learning curve for those elected. If that is the case then I am looking at skills, knowledge of the issues, an indication that there is a willingness to build a team or work with partners, a scrupulous adherence to honesty and a plan. 

The plan is is the most important part. I have voted for candidates in the past for well thought and considered plans. I like to assess if the person is on an ego trip or running to get their brand out there. In other words, do they want the glamour of running and maybe winning but don't have the stamina or wherewithal to sustain actual work. And make no mistake, it is work to attend all those meetings. Governing takes work and it requires making agreement because it requires getting the votes to make decisions.

Lastly, if a mayor wants to be away every weekend, they will miss something like a Remembrance Day and infuriate the public. A mayor and council have to measure their roles as public figures and leaders. Sure, you can go on holiday. Assign someone to stand in, state you will be on holiday and be transparent. And if you intend to quit early, consider not running. The term is four years. Once again, whatever your thoughts on Brian Bowman, he is serving his full term, was transparent that he would not run again and leaves enough time to transition to the next democratically elected leader. Mark that contrast to the province where we have had the premier quit, a byelection called and a leadership convention for a new premier a few years ahead of the next election.

 So who to vote for in the next election? Looks to see who best can represent you in council and mayor. Push the candidates to release policy ideas, question their commitment and not let them rely on celebrity or familiarity to put them in office. Hold the media to account by comparing and contrasting candidate experience, policies and overall vision.

Sarah Orlesky Leaves TSN for Winnipeg Jets

In retrospect, we probably had no idea how lucky we were with the TSN broadcast crew assembled for the return of the Winnipeg Jets. Dennis Beyak, Sara Orlesky and Brian Engblom, all former Manitobans, jumped at the change to be part of the broadcast team.

Given how professional the broadcast team was, it is worth noting the huge changes going on at TSN in 2010 as it went from a single cable channel to a TSN 2 feed just in time for Jets inaugural season. At the same time a race was on to get HD signals in place. The first HD broadcast began in Toronto in 2003 but that didn't mean TVs or cable companies were capable of getting it into your home. In 2011 when CBC was to broadcast the Jets for the first time, the HD signal wasn't ready. I recall I got the Toronto Maple Leaf game instead. The problem was corrected by next time an it has been HD signals since.

TSN 2 though was a regional broadcast that required filling time because there were so few sponsors in the beginning.  In 2011, CFRW which had just started sports radio a short time before was re-branded TSN 1290 so that both radio and television were under one brand. The sporting department of CJOB was raided to fill content for both. It was a glorious time for hockey broadcasts in Winnipeg. In 2014, Shane Hnidy joined the broadcast and Engblom was increasingly being called upon by American broadcasters. He was a wonderful Manitoba addition.

Despite the Jets struggles, broadcasting was a strength and up till 2017 was running without changes. That is until Las Vegas Golden Knights came. A raid of our broadcasters saw Shane Hnidy and Gary Lawless headed to the city. Daren Millard is also there. Plus hockey management people who came originally from Manitoba. This resulted in a rotation of colour analysts of Ray Ferraro, Jamie McLennan and Dave Poulin. It was only 2018 when they settled on Kevin Sawyer.

There will be opinions galore on the broadcasting teams in both radio and TV. I think it is certain that the departure of Beyak and Orlesky in the same year is the end of a great era. It will be interesting to see who is part of the broadcast team for this year. You'd have to assume they will be announcing soon as pre-season games are only weeks away.

I have nothing against content sports teams produce. In the far past, it was limited to team photos and stats. Then videos and filler for in between periods. Then came break downs of what happened in a game. It may be written and produced by people who come from journalism but it is not journalism. For example, former journalists will not write content for the Jets about what the worst trades the Jets have ever made. Or the missed players in signing. Or egregious ref calls or failures from the national desk on player safety. That is the in the domain of journalists from media not owned by NHL teams.

NHL teams have every right to produce positive spin on their product but the moment they try to put a shine on things where it is not deserved, it will blow up. Or if they control journalist access to players, managers and owners, expect only the worst to happen. And the worst is lose your audience.

Sara Orlesky is a serious sports person and I expect her to ask serious questions. She had a pretty good interview with Scheifele. The real test for the Jets is when journalists who see that content and ask direct questions about things like plus/minus and what changes will made to improve that. Don't wait for fans to wear paper bags over their heads because you believe your own PR. Teams have completely failed by the time that happens. Each team has to have tough questions asked of it. And that is what journalists do.

Anita Neville Appointed to Manitoba Lieutenant-Governor

Firstly, Janice Filmon did service beyond the call and did it with kindness and leadership. She was in the position much longer than she expected and battled through health issues as did her husband Gary who very much helped her as she did him over these last years. As good as the position of Lt. Governor is, you become a symbol to the province while fulfilling a constitutional responsibility as Queen's representative and democratic guardian. The politics of before (had there been any) is left behind and you listen and champion the people you serve.

We will never know all those that were on the final list to replace Filmon. We know some were amazing but the demands of giving fully and not being committed to party politics, business or running other organizations is a hard one. The vetting for such a job is painstaking and it is possible to still make errors in appointment as witnesses nationally with the Governor-General. Good on paper has to be matched by awesome people skills.

The federal government has announced that Anita Neville, longtime Liberal politician but retired for some time, has been appointed. At 80, she is older that the Lt. Governor she is replacing and is the first Jewish woman in Manitoba to hold the position. As a Trudeau appointment, she sends a message, as Neville has been a long time supporter of Israel but also a champion of refugees. She has advocated for same sex marriage and indigenous people.  Her long time involvement as a school trustee, MP and community service should give her an understanding of her role as vice-regal.

Being Lieutenant Governor in a majority-run province isn't overly political. It can be a time to show grace, compassion and to listen to the people and celebrate with them and mourn with them. Neville need only look at Janice Filmon to see how it can be done.

Lisa LaFlamme Fired by CTV

Lisa LaFlamme has been with CTV News for 35 years. She has been anchor of the highest rated national news since 2011 when she took over for the retiring Lloyd Robertson who left at age 77. At competing network CBC, Peter Mansbridge left at 69 in retirement. LaFlamme with years left on her contract was fired at age 58. She was told to keep quiet. She did not have final words for her last broadcast. Her payout was likely dependent on saying nothing till she was done.

In Winnipeg, we saw a similar dumping of Gord Leclerc from the same network. It seemed pretty harsh for a station that was in ratings command. At 53, you get dumped for reasons that still don't make sense? As a cost saving measure? Understandably, Leclerc was shocked and took a year to recover from what had been 25 years in the job. He has new work as a contractor now and seems at peace.

It is hard to imagine LaFlamme is not up for a challenge. As a bilingual former journalist with more to give, you have to wonder if she is a good candidate for the Lt. Governor position in Ontario. The present candidate has served since 2014 and is 77 years old this year. Appointed by Stephen Harper, Elizabeth Dowdeswell is serving in a position that normally runs give years. Dowdeswell is a remarkable woman but the prime minister Justin Trudeau shouldn't put so much pressure on public servants. We have just seen Janice Filmon serve almost as many years in grace and in sometimes difficult health for her and her husband before hearing this week she will be replaced by Manitoba's first Jewish Lt. Governor, Anita Neville. At 80, Neville is older than Ontario's LG who started the position at 69.

LaFlamme did her job, maintained the ratings for CTV and for many was a role model. Letting her hair turn white when it was not easy to style in the pandemic resonated. Her firing makes a lot of women question whether they are allowed to age gracefully. They should take note of Leclerc to realize most TV broadcasting gravitates to young news teams. The problem with this is the lack of institutional memory. There are not enough people on any TV news team in town who were reporting when Glen Murray was last mayor, for example. Heck, there are a lot of people missing from news teams from even the last civic election!

I don't know what is next for Lisa LaFlamme. She could find new work in journalism, academia, vice regal or wherever. Still, it seems in a country where many jobs are unfilled, you fire skilled people like they were nothing.

Crime and Safety in Winnipeg in 2022 Part 8

In past posts I have detailed what local, provincial and federal governments might do. There are plenty of things private citizens, organizations and companies can do as well to help with safety and reduce crime. Let's start on the individual level.

- Continue to support Bear Clan and Peace Walker teams. They are volunteers so provide them your support both in person and in donations. Find space for them to use. They are not police but they do so much to make people feel safe and supported. Osborne Village is the latest to engage this group. 

- Better video security at home, office and public spaces. It may not stop all crime but is a valuable preventative and investigative tool. Ensure that privacy issues and security of footage is abided by. It shouldn't need saying but cameras in bathrooms and change areas is not security. It is a violation. However, a camera looking out the front or back of your house or around your work or a public park are fine within the confines of privacy laws. And good quality cameras really do count.

- Shoplifting has not completely ended in liquor stores but checking IDs at the door and keeping door locked has stopped swarming, under the drinking age and habitual theft from happening. And when product goes missing, there is a good idea who took it. Cannabis stores have been well protected from the beginning. Regular stores are reluctant to operate with locked doors because there is a good percentage of lost sales from people annoyed by it. For liquor, cigarettes and cannabis, people just accept it if they want those products. However, given the fact that stores like 7/Eleven are closing in various places in Winnipeg, you have to wonder if the locked door policy pending ID will spread.

- They are ugly as can be but with so many windows being many businesses are turning to metal shutters. The plywood up on windows is an indication how bad things have gotten. Pre-pandemic it was more rare but with fewer people on the streets, this type of attack is costly. In these cases, cameras have likely caught what happened but damage is done when your window is destroyed and a slow response time means thieves are come and gone by the time police or security or business owner arrives. I imagine that is a lonely and sad time waiting for the plywood to open outside your shop. A metal gate might seem to be your only hope. Eventually areas start to look like Beirut though.

- Re-direct all package deliveries to local post office. Your front porch is an invitation to theft if you are not home to receive it. Want to keep your local post office alive, use it. If there are package lockers to receive goods, use them. Not surprisingly, people follow the Amazons trucks in Winnipeg. If you want your house to receive regular visits by thieves, this is the way to do it.

- Cars on streets are always vulnerable to theft, break-ins and the like. Some people in River Heights have gotten in the habit of leaving nothing in their cars and the doors open. That doesn't seem to stop the broken windows. Only police patrols and arrests eased the problem. But is has been consistent over the year in various neighbourhoods. In the 1970s many people had one car and it was parked in a garage. Now cars are parked end to end on every block of the city including places with double and triple garages. So many cars. A tracker can help with outright theft but vandalism is possible any time in public as well as parts theft. When possible, get parts printed with the VIN number. Don't leave anything visible on seats or console.

- Not sure how many times this has to be mentioned but don't hand out money to roadside panhandling. People have died on the road because of it and many others have likely been hurt by overdoses. Panhandling means people can bypass health and care services in favour of getting money that results in pandemic of overdose and rescue. Money for assistance should go to organizations who do make a difference on the streets. No one will stand on a corner if the result is zero money. Addiction means seeking cash. Our help has to come from different options.

- Support women's shelters. Women and children need to know there is a safe place to go. Domestic violence continues to be where we too high a rate of harm. Women shouldn't have difficulty getting to or finding places that are safe.

- Volunteer and donate. Food banks, safe walks, community clubs can always use help in people and money. Want safety in your area? Make it look like people live, work and have recreation there. Don't live in a fortress.

- Fix broken windows, cover over graffiti, maintain properties. Some places are repeatedly broken into and set fire to because no one cares for them. 

- Offer safe parking for bikes. What is the point of biking if it they are stolen every day? Make your business/residence a place where people can trust their bike will be there when they get back. This applies to schools, community clubs, apartments and condos, restaurants and everything in between. Riding bikes is something families do. When they put official bike trails in Assiniboine Park in the 1970s people used them and still do. But what if you want to go for ice cream and come back and find your bike gone? Do better. Have a secure lock-up area.

- Keep people apprised of what you are doing? Dating someone new? Let someone know. Selling something? Let someone know. It is easy to become a victim.

- Remember crimes can happen even when you are at home. Be aware that commercial crimes, blackmail, extortion and others things can come while in the safety of being at home. Have those discussion with seniors, teens, vulnerable people and for yourself, consult when you don't know.

Reclaiming our safety and reducing crime is going to be multi-pronged. Learn from what made you vulnerable to past security issues. But don't live in fear. 

Civic Election in Winnipeg 2022 Part 2

 

As the city election looms, three Free Press columnists reflect on the past mayor and the future mayor. In the first column Peter Denton correctly points out a few things in regards to Mayor Bowman. He indicates that part of the assessment of how successful the mayor was has to be couched with how Premier Pallister literally refused to meet or take calls. This wasn't isolated to the mayor and the broken relationship can't be pinned on the mayor or the city. The only call the premier wanted was from the PM and more federal money with no strings to presumably not spend or issue as a tax cut.

Denton also points out the pandemic for the inability to exit office triumphantly. It is a point taken. Winnipeg will be struggling for a while. And Covid is still making people sick, some very badly so. I will say a few things about Bowman. I believe he has been trying to root out the corruption in regards to the police headquarters. He has had zero help from the province on that. He has tried to rein in the above inflation increases in spending on police pensions and remove a union fire head from the public payroll. I think he has incrementally tried to do his part for reconciliation and Pride when other leaders turned their backs.

For his troubles, there are a number of councillors who believe they are mayor and act like it. Their goal has been to block any initiative they didn't come up with. Some do it for small government and some the opposite. It is why the mayor uses the executive policy committee as a cudgel rather than a steering committee to ensure enough votes for any initiative. Some councillors are permanently on the outside because party politics continues on in secret alliances. It is no wonder why the mayor probably thought two terms was enough. And this is where we should be thankful he was not coy. He stated well in advance he was leaving and this is why we have 14 people lined up for the open mayor's chair. A number of experienced Councillors have stepped forward who otherwise might have stayed in place had the mayor stayed on or even announced very late that he wasn't running

The second article of interest in the Free Press was by Barbara Bowes who detailed from a human resources standpoint what we might look for in a mayor. She said to pay attention to their reason for running. Is this an ego boost only? What are their objectives and goals? Perennial candidates like Nick Ternette were not insincere when they ran. They ran as activists. And while they didn't win, they won respect? No one thought Ternette was looking for a cushy job. He ran do change things.

Other questions Bowes asks are: What experience does a candidate have? Running for mayor and bypassing Councillor or other elected office means a learning curve unless other experience comes into play. Are they business people, run an organization, been in academia, been an activist or had some political experience? If they ran last mayor's election, what have they done in the interim to prepare for another run.

What leadership and communication skills do they have? And even if you check off all those boxes, do you have popular people skills? One story I just heard is from when someone used to have Glen Murray as Councillor and a got a parking ticket. They gave full blast on the Councillor's voice mail. Murray called personally twice to tell the constituent they thought they had the basis to contend the ticket. I'm not sure if the ticket was won but it earned Murray a voter then and now. This type of retail politics can work. It earned John Harvard a seat in a Tory blue riding but Glen Murray could not capture Harvard's support in same riding because they were two different men, had different interactions with people and Murray did not have enough time to create roots of retail politics in the area.

Finally, Royce Koop's column on Friday spoke of how crime will be a focus of the civic election. It would be a mistake to assume Glen Murray's anti-helicopter stance is anti-police. If he pushes the beat cop approach, it could resonate. Not everyone is a fan of the helicopter based on cost and how much time is required to repair it versus it being in the air. There may be a variety of opinion on what type of policing is needed. This is as much a political opinion as a practical opinion. Defend the helicopter and senior police might have to say how it is better than say...six police on the ground. And woe to anyone who says we need both without showing projected stats on how crime will go down.

Conservatives might find simply saying we need 200 more cops now could face questions from their own supporters asking for costing of that promise as well as proof results will occur. Progressives who ask for cops to be cut had better show how redirected money also reduces crime and show proof of that. Promises that lack substance will be chewed up. Yes, crime will be an issue and it could be a progressive who comes down strong on that area that steals the fire from a conservative.

And given how many people are in the race, expect things to get dirty. Any questionable matter that a candidate thought was buried will come up such as any legal issues, addiction problems, domestic issues, race issues, misogyny or links to criminals, financial records, business ties, donor lists or vote counts records. Not all will be crippling. Some things will be baked into the equation. Some will require explanation. But in a close race, expect an October surprise.

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I received one of those telephone polls on Monday. It asked at that the time if I would consider a vote for Paula Havixbeck and Hal Anderson. I thought Anderson was an outside chance having the radio job he probably has wanted for a long time. However, like Geoff Currier, he probably was drawn to local politics and an open seat is Charleswood is as good as it gets. Only candidate so far is Brad Gross who has tried his hand at runs for mayor and at least council seats. I believe he lives on the other side of the Red River. There are no rules on running in your region though but it comes up every election. Anderson's last day was today where he asked his listeners to vote for him.

Media types have run before. Some win like John Harvard, others lose like Garth Dawley. I mentioned Geoff Currier from CJOB already. Anderson endorsed Kevin Klein for mayor and has supported more police. His politics are right-leaning. In a race of two people thus far, he stands a good chance of winning. However, endorsing Klein means his position in council might be tougher if another candidate wins.

Interesting times.

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Glen Murray continues to get endorsements. He landed the firefighter union early on and now has the Labour Council with count 40 unions among its members including CUPE 500, the large city employees union. The police have not said who they are supporting or if they will support someone yet although some leaders are supporting Klein.

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Suburban candidates who think crime is a downtown issue would do well to pay attention to the machete wielding, sawed off rifle carrying individual at Kildonan Place out do some shoplifting. These occurrences are not just media hysteria. They are reminders that there is no safety bubble in the city. Rampant theft of catalytic converters continues as Rana Bokhari can attest to with her campaign vehicle crippled and Kildonan Place with the machete incident show the suburbs are not immune to what is happening.

Crime and Safety in Winnipeg in 2022 Part 7

Let's be clear from the start: Assaulting the police chief is unacceptable. If this was a protest, it was poorly thought out. Regardless, it was an attack and it seems inevitable that charges will go to court unless a mental health assessment determines otherwise. No matter what your thoughts on the police are, physically assaulting an officer is a crime. Danny Smyth should have been able to attend Folklorama as part of outreach. For many new people to Canada, the one consistent time to meet local, provincial and national officials is at cultural festivals. Is the goal to make sure that elected officials and public officials are only reached once they have been strip searched outside the fortress walls?

A civil discussion of police policy, labour issues, oversight, budgets, use of force and core services does not include a water fight or worse. Neither the police or citizens of the city should be forget this and resort to violence against each other.

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On another matter, the province took it on the chin in a legal decision of money from federal transfers to kids in foster care being redirected to the provincial treasury. Both the NDP and Tories did this and $334 million for kids was stolen from them. Pallister tried to create protection from courts for what his government did. It didn't work. The Stefanson government won't appeal but they don't seem to be in a rush to refund the money either. Thieves. And a good example of what happens sometimes when the Feds transfer money to the province for something. Pallister used it for a tax and service cut. Kids' money. Shame.

An example of how kids who need safety and security were robbed of it is foster care by NDP and Tories.

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The removal of Arlen Dumas from the leadership of Assembly of Manitoba Chief is quite a change from past times. The previous brush with this should have been a warning to do better. In the case of the executive, it was. For the leader, not so much. A third party investigation gave a clear assessment and the executive made a clear decision. AMC is not the only indigenous group that will need to do better. And they did a sight better than political parties who have also clammed up about harassment, violence and bullying. Historic wrongs should be confronted and reconciled. In a lot of cases, past behaviours do not reflect the person as they are today. However, some past offences are so egregious that they can't be ignored and legal and other recourse are needed. The thing that can and should be learned from AMC is the expectation that an organization can ignore continued bad behaviour is not happening. It will explode in their faces. Ask Hockey Canada what they have learned paying millions to protect rapists.

 As a general rule of thumb, try to be respectful. Everyone makes mistakes but if you think no one will make you own up to them, those days are over. Insincere efforts do better will earn you loss of job and maybe jail time.

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Lastly, the child on child crime this week with 13 years robbing and assaulting another 13 year old makes the heart sag. 

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So far in previous parts I have listed things the city and the province can do to help reduce crime and increase safety. That still leaves the federal government. Their contribution of Statistics Canada numbers on crime are a valuable tool that puts pressures on nearly everyone to focus on what is going wrong but also on what is going right. For example the latest numbers for Winnipeg indicate violent crime is up which comes as no surprise and property crime, traffic crime and other crimes are down. We'll look at those numbers a bit later.

Unlike the United States, homicide is solely in the domain of the federal government government. It isn't a state by state thing in Canada. The justice and punishment for this crime rests with the federal government. If the crime rises to a degree where the punishment is two years and over, most end up in Manitoba's Stony Mountain Institution. The inmates call it Murder Mountain. It is one of the oldest prisons in Canada. In 2014, an expansion of 96 cells for a maximum security wing made it a minimum/medium/maximum security prison. Statistics reveal that around 70% of inmates at Stony Mountain are indigenous. Gang warfare is rife and deaths there make the prison series Oz look like a resort. 

In terms of what the federal government does to help with crime and safety issues, here are some areas to look at.

- Reform the RCMP. Constables are being killed for lack of training, poor equipment and failed  management. While the present Commissioner is a woman, it has not been a good place for women for far too long. Harassment and assault can't be every day part of the job. We can no longer have 60 open RCMP jobs in Manitoba. While this hurts the north and rural municipalities a lot, never forget that RCMP Divisional HQ is in Winnipeg. It also took Winnipeg Police and RCMP working together to make arrests in the catalytic converter thefts. It was a city and country crime. It is up to federal government to deliver the best RCMP we can get for policing in Canada.

- Winnipeg and many other areas of North America are experiencing theft of catalytic converters for their valuable metals. The federal government should mandate all new car parts, especially the converters come with a VIN number. It is more effective for the Feds to work with car ad parts manufacturers to do this. Given how many cars in other parts of the country are stolen and shipped overseas, it would be helpful to be able to track them and immobilize them before they get aboard a ship. Confiscate a few ships as proceeds of crime and they will do a lot more to end this organized crime. Federal legislation could end the trade in stolen parts along with provincial regulations and good policing. When cars were being stolen all over North America, it took many approaches to deal with that. It is no different now.

- Housing. The government of Canada has a lot to say about housing through CMHC but their focus has been often on suburban housing that has been increasingly getting higher in price. The older population and housing stock requires new thinking. More affordable options, amenities and density with a focus on security is something the Feds can help with. Homelessness has been in entrenched because governments makes no allowance for single room occupancy or ultra low income residents. Think how many World War II vets, newcomers to the country, single or separated people have used small apartments as a lifesaver. We need Single Room Occupancy (SRO) and tiny houses and places with services to see people move off the streets.

- Safe to say that the past government of Stephen Harper would have never changed cannabis rules in Canada. Never. Conservatives might decry Trudeau then and now but a change in government will not reverse that change the Liberal government made. And why? The reason is legalizing cannabis and allowing provinces to regulate and tax it was safer than prohibition. Today's stores, warehouses, banking, distribution and growing of cannabis have been removed from the control of organized crime. Just like alcohol. While liquor stores were being ravaged by organized shoplifting swarms, cannabis stores operated with ID at door and product behind further locked doors with government oversight everywhere. In other words, well equipped for today's crime reduction world. Further movement on other drugs should be looked at. If not legalization, then decriminalization of small amounts and move things to a healthcare focus and let police concentrate on trafficking of large amounts across territorial borders. Prisons do not stop addiction or reduce criminal behaviour on drugs. Regulation and taxation do.

- Parole. There will always be controversy on this but a parole board, parole officers and supports as well as transparency will continue to be required to ensure low risk to offend are released with monitoring and high risk offenders remain in place. Prisons are expensive places to keep people who society might have better options for.

- Hate laws and freedom of speech. This is primarily a federal area and within our Constitution. The rise in Jewish, Asian and Muslim hate crime has to be taken seriously. Attacking historic and cared for Jewish cemeteries and a beloved Asian store in Winnipeg is heartbreaking. The Jewish population of the city are our friends and neighbours. The Asian community has deep and caring roots and the Muslim community are a growing and diverse people living in peace. Whatever the world conflict, Winnipeg is where many people live together under pluralism. Feel free to express your opinion but if it comes with incitement to hatred, violence and terror know that order will be restored.

- Indigenous People. The Treaties are federal, the responsibility is federal but as provinces have learned, it is also their responsibility for all citizens in their jurisdiction to be cared for. The courts keep ruling in that area as we have seen with the foster care money decision. If you steal money from meant for children, it hurts the children. Stop using for tax cuts that a child doesn't need. There have been a few deals and settlements made which should see new business for First Nations and Metis. Here in Winnipeg, it will probably mean development begins in places like Kapyong and money paid to the city for same rate they world earn as taxes. From the public's perspective, it will probably look very much the same as any commercial/residential development. To make real world change, it is going to require more partnerships, higher education and economic growth to break the grinding poverty and true reconciliation can begin.

- Rural and northern crime. How to stop urban crime is to remember criminals commute. Drugs go back and forth, stolen parts and violent  offenders. The RCMP have said they will taskforce up and go after repeat offenders on an ad hoc basis. This means executing warrants, doing compliance checks and not putting up with individuals who will break the law till someone dies. Better to catch them violating the law than giving free passes. The police often know who the bad actors are. This ain't the good ol' boys. Safety will go up and crime will go down if the Feds give the RCMP and Band Constables the ability to act and deescalate offenders before they harm others.

- Cybercrime. Often now we are harmed by criminals outside our own areas. The federal government is best equipped for this as the crime can and has been about national security attacks by rogue nations that not only involves police but national defence.

- Canada is consistently rated in the top ten for safety among 163 countries according to the Global Peace Index. Other factors figure in the global rating but they point out that Canada has one third the crime rate of the U.S. which shows different government structure have significant differences even with similar cultural backgrounds. There may be a decline this year with the presence of the trucker convoy because that comes under political stability. Even now the convoy continues along Trans-Canada this week and at the Legislative grounds which seems to have a permanent presence on it of protest. Freedom of speech is our right. Overthrowing government is not by force. Use you word and your vote.

- Income supports. Make no mistake: Things like CPP, OAS, baby bonus checks and other supports can contribute to not losing your house, or child, or heath and keeps people safer and more secure. Prison is not the answer for poverty. Homelessness won't go away if homes are unaffordable. Crime won't go down if there is a permanent supply of dispossessed. 

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I have outlined a number of different ways the three levels of government can help with safety and bring crime down. Not all of them cost money. Many cost nothing except change of zoning, scheduling and reassigning staff. For councillors it might be answering your phones to be alerted to a back alley deteriorating in every way.

I'm not a politician, police officer, lawyer, healthcare provider or social worker. Those and others are tough jobs. They all have likely insight on what it is like out there. If anyone is listening. Journalists as well and the various media have an important role too but I'm no closer to knowing who to vote for in the city election. Candidates provide few details and media has not quite given me the profiles and policies to base a decision on. I have begun listening to podcasts but crave a website to compare and contrast.

I don't use any real social media except for business accounts. The pandemic, my parents suffering and passing away, a car collision where my car was written off and I was hurt, my own battle with being sick...twice in 2020 and having to go to hospital started off with a punch in the face leaving work. To add insult to injury, had to make a police reports of theft and fraud, bullet holes in the entrance to my place, break ins and so forth. I tried to stay in good spirits but I was scared to go out. 

In 2019, I was pretty fearless. Cautious but not worried. I was working very late nights at Jazz Fest, Country Fest, movie sets, galas all over downtown, through the city for one of businesses. All the while working my other business and assisting my parents in fixing and emptying their old home while helping them adjust to assisted living.

With all my businesses shut down, I got over my fear by walking the streets of the city. I love this town and posted pictures of my travels good and bad. I walked entire length of Portage Avenue. Both ways. All of Pembina. All of Main, every street of downtown. I needed it because my parents were in ICU with Covid 100 days with no visits. And I couldn't be scared.

Social media among friends is fine but has grown to be a fight in the larger world. It is a mistake to believe the majority of people on say, Twitter, represent the world view on any issue. Those on it can push a trend and can enjoy the engagement but I learned more walking in every part of Winnipeg to be fair. And as restrictions have lifted (I still wear my mask a lot and four times vaxxed), I am doing my part to get out there, stay positive, run a new business and serves thousands doing it. 

Ultimately, to make this city become safer and reduce crime we all defiantly have to inform people, create a community that looks out for each so we call live, work, get educated and seek recreation and not be scared.

In next and last part, I will describe what ordinary people can do to help make their community safer and reduce crime.

Crime and Safety in Winnipeg in 2022 Part 6

From the provincial ledger, much can be done that is beyond the city to do. The levers of courts, social work, healthcare and oversight of policing is all at a provincial level. Housing and health are two main provincial responsibilities. The province has full authority here and both areas are important to a place like Winnipeg in crime and safety. The premier of Manitoba Heather Stefanson has recently weighed in on the side of the police union.

A provincial election is coming soon. Here is what might be needed for crime and safety moves, especially in Winnipeg:

- There is a strong chance that the present government will run a law and order campaign. Some of what they want to do also lies in federal jurisdiction but support for hiring more cops might be an election policy. At the moment, with 4% of RCMP jobs left unfilled in Manitoba, it should be a priority to fill them. And questions asked why those positions are unfilled.

- If additional police are hired for Winnipeg with support from province, the real question is where? Patrol cars, beat cops, major crimes, CCTV? Not even sure the police administration or the union have made a case for where they need more boots on the ground. And to be sure there will be resistance from parts of the public not happy with today's policing.

- The present government seems not to know what to do with the drug and alcohol problem. They are unsuccessfully trying to use law and order measures without doing enough on the health and addictions part of the equation. There was an attempt during the pandemic to do more on mental health and that is progress. But everyone seems to push addiction on the streets which contributes to a growing number of people without housing. Safety and crime follow. More resources from the province on addictions and treatments along with support housing are needed. Restoration of single resident occupancy is only way to end homelessness.

- It is hard to know what the policy on provincial jails is in Manitoba. By all accounts some of the youth detention centres are closing as they are underutilized. At least in southwest Manitoba, specifically the Agassiz Youth Centre in Portage la Prairie. The RCMP reported 24% decrease in overall crime. We'll see how this looks in the next year but on the face of it, the stats were in line with what was happening even before the pandemic. In the north, there was an increase across the board for crime and the province is redirecting resources there. Bad as I feel for Portage, the province is right to do so. The north is under policed and needs more court and detention attention from the province. The overall provincial jail system is a tough place overall but it is probably no where near what is happening at Murder Mountain (Stony Mountain). That federal prison might be the worst in Canada. More on that in federal section of this post. However, back to provincial side of the jail system, there is capacity to hold youth offenders in remand detention and adults in both remand and jails if they pose a threat to society. There is no excuse for some people to be released on an undertaking when they are likely to repeat offences without an intervention.

- Parole and probation services can do better. We need a provincial parole board here in Manitoba. The province leaves it to the Feds but not every inmate is in federal custody. We need better assessment and tracking. We need parole officers and probation. We need halfway houses. We need social workers, training, job placement, heath supports, addiction supports. If this sounds expensive you know what is even more expensive? Prison time.

- Provincial housing is the worst housing in Manitoba and the province is the poorest landlord. This has been true under multiple government of both the major parties of NDP and PCs. Ending homelessness and making a dent in addictions means more focus in this area. Income supports, rules on major housing complexes having a variety of house sizes, ending renovictions and renovating older housing stock are all needed. Safety comes from people having a place of their own and crime reduction comes from support in jobs, training and basic needs.

- The perception of safety comes in part from action of the Crown Prosecutor. In Manitoba, the Crown provide no feedback about why they don't pursue charges. No comment. And in recent years have dropped cases and even seemed to undermine their cases. Other provinces do things differently and are more forthcoming and transparent about briefing the public. Transparency about the justice system is essential in terms of crime and safety. It is hard not to think we have not been let down by this office far too many times.

-In terms of crime and safety, mental health and addiction services or that lack of can beget both safety and crime issues. If someone asks for help and can't get it in a timely way or not at all, it is not surprising to see poor outcomes. Much more is needed in the area of health. The provinces have asked for more federal financing in health but they have cut service and taxes when given more funding. A lack of trust prevents serious work being done. The provinces want no strings money. It is pretty brazen especially since they will still blame federal government for failure even as they re-allocate the money elsewhere including checks to citizens. This needs to stop and measurable improvements health recorded or funding should be clawed back.

- Reconciliation. The province under Pallister had a combative relationship with indigenous people and went to court in various fights and lost on several fronts. There has been an improvement in tone from Stefanson but still a long way to go on substance. Manitoba has the worst record on apprehending children and First Nations and Metis have paid the steepest price. The broken families continues a cycle of safety and crime as kids age of out of care and have no supports as they are jettisoned onto the streets. This has to stop or the suffering continues. Putting kids in hotels as past governments have done or in poorly funded, culturally removed and improperly vetted foster care all contribute to a lack of safety for kids and families. Does the government truly want children to bounce around foster care till they end up homeless, mentally defeated, addicted and victims of or perpetrators of crime? Do better.

- The Forks is not just a city park or a national park. It is even fully a park. It is a multi-purpose space for the entire community. The province is one of three partners there. Yet another attack has taken place there. And no, it isn't because media is focused on it. It is because it is happening with such regularity that it is impossible to ignore.  What is the province to do? The latest firearm charges were released on an undertaking of a promise to appear. The province needs to clamp down on failure to appear and the various writs, warrants and subpoenas need enforcement to stop the revolving door. Want to prevent some murders? Stop letting people out and then letting the crime spree continue. And for those who get out, monitor and provide support. As for The Forks, the duty of the province to take care of it can't be brushed off. They own it and should act like it.

Crime and Safety in Winnipeg in 2022 Part 5

The problems cannot be solved by running around in police cars responding though with no plan, no training and no objective measurement. Not to mention creating bottlenecks in remand, court dates, provincial and federal prisons, parole, mental health assessments, halfway houses and social work. It is so slow turning the policy ship around. Sadly, one of the least powerful of the government bodies in making change is municipal governments. A mayor and council lack sufficient legal, budgetary and regulatory resources to do the work asked of them. But they can do something. On the local side, the police are a powerful tool but can be a blunt one. As we near a city election, here is what some politicians should commit to.

- Daily in-person police briefings carried out on city website and social media. If crime is a crisis then treat it like one and keep the public informed seven days a week. The question of whether enough information about attacks on women on public trails last year still stings. This includes news releases and briefings.

- Commit to bodycams for police and a policy for their release in investigations and for public transparency. Likewise, all patrol cars should be equipped as well. For those that say cameras have no effect on anything, they are wrong. Be prompt about release. Nothing is more corrosive than holding back footage or editing it to dissemble to the public.

- Support a CCTV camera program. Ensure that a consultation phase takes place, that it applies to public places where there may be a pressing need, have rules in place on privacy, have signage to indicate public security and who is watching and how long data is retained. Independent audit and evaluation.

- More police on the beat.  The patrol car responding to crimes as they happen or after they happen will always be required. But true prevention is probably only going to occur with a cop who knows every business in his area, knows the kids, knows the schools and builds trust and by his mere presence is able to prevent things from happening.

- More community patrols and supports for them. Bear Clan Patrol and other community patrols are needed and wanted. They should have community offices to store patrol equipment such as flashlights, communications, orange vests, water, first aid kits, disposals for sharps. It is very hard to commit crimes when 10 to 30 people in orange vests walk down the street. Moreover, it is a lot easier to accept help when a group like this comes by to offer food or water.

- Hire more crime analysts. Good data means more safety, security and policing. Today's property crime is not just pawn shops but social media platforms where stolen good are sold. Crimes taking place on the Internet require expertise there. Breaking encryption, GPS tracking, analyzing numbers in where, when, what and how crimes are taking place can determining the who and why of crime. For example: if a whole bunch of crimes take place with bear spray, the analysts find out how this crime takes place. Where is it coming from? This can lead to who.

- Safety audits to determine parts of city that could use more police presence, better lighting, mirrors, panic buttons, safety walks or any other assistance.

- Safety also means looking for fire hazards, needles and neglect that can lead to crime or safety issues. Not every matter a city deals with is a police issue. Illegal dumping, fire threats and buildings left to rot all lie within city domain. Not the province or the feds.

- Lastly, zoning. Single room occupancy used to support 1,000 people in Winnipeg. The city zoned it out, drove it out and now we have 1,500 homeless people. An aggressive plan to approve SRO needs to take place. Much like the cannabis industry, it is better to legalize, zone and regulate. The closure of all the downtown Main Street hotels has led to rampant homelessness. While the hotels are never coming back, the housing lost needs to be replaced. There are some fine examples of former hotels converted to SRO along Main. If we had 30 more hotels converted like the Occidental, the burden on homelessness would be far less. 

It might seem overwhelming but the city has to get away from the crisis of police and fire rushing all over the city in war mode with sirens blazing. If it is truly a war then every city employee should be out on the streets emptying out garbage, taking control of boarded up houses and buildings, cleaning up needles, assisting every single person in a transit shelter to get housing this year. Right now. Not later. See above on SRO. That is how a crisis is handled. Treat it like forest fire and act like in an emergency if that is what gets the job done. 

A reporter recently said that candidates in the election were making promises that had no basis in reality because they were never fully costed or assessed as being possible. In fairness, many on council don't even get good budget numbers as they seem reserved only for the mayor and executive policy committee. How decisions get made sometimes doesn't even get to the mayor's office. 

Still, the above should be achievable through zoning and management of fire and police. The city doesn't have to build thousands of units of housing on their own. It can come through zoning. Extraordinary spending is not needed. Just stop driving the lowest cost of housing to extinction thinking you are cleaning up the city. This power lies within the city and with council to do this.

Crime and Safety in Winnipeg 2022 Part 4

 

So what will work in short term, medium term and long term to make Winnipeg safer and have less crime? In the past, short term solutions have been to look at patterns of crime and for the police to pour resources into them. In the 1990s when things were very bad, the police and fire departments set up an arson task force. It was slow to set up, took a while to get going but eventually offenders were caught and arsons went down. Likewise, a car theft task force was set and repeat car thieves were caught and it went down as those who would not stop took on longer and longer sentences.

These things don't happen in a vacuum though. Before manufactured ignition locks people in Winnipeg used steering wheel locks, got alarms and along with the police task force, car thefts went down. From a police perspective good intelligence is needed to stay vigilant. The issues of stolen goods and pawn shops in the 1970s and 1980s saw various rules and laws put in place to root out the worst fronts for organized crime. Various studies have shown that a lot of the decline in property crime from the 1990s on was the result of it being harder to steal to cars or break into buildings.

Today, valuable car parts and printable guns could use an assist from provincial and federal levels by marking them for ID or making them illegal. Inspections of metal yards to determine providence. Record keeping and the ability to track down sales and customers. And consequences for stolen goods such as forfeiture of business. If someone has catalytic converters and there is no providence of how the parts came to be at a the shop, arrests and forfeiture of business should result. Likewise, bike parts, copper and car parts at a metal shop should al be traceable. The province of Manitoba has a private members bill to put serial numbers on converters only for the government to vote it down and re-introduce it. It is an intolerable waste of time and shows a lack of urgency.

A renewed effort is needed to make it harder to steal cars, break into cars and carjack cars. Serial numbers on parts, engine immobilizers, GPS emergency tracking, automatic door locks and alarms should be standard features. Metal recyclers need video record keeping and paperwork to prove providence of material and regular police or inspector visits. This would help with copper and bike thefts as well for metal sales. The above would certainly help police. For example, a carjacked car might be able to be shut down safely and police could apprehend suspects. Or a metal shop with a whole bunch of unaccounted for catalytic converters gets shut down and breaks the chain for people who steal them not having a market to sell them.

It should not be assumed that punishment is more effective than prevention. Punishment is not needed if the crime was prevented from happening in the first place! Federal and provincial governments can certainly assist in some of the above mention measures. Better border, port and postal inspections would help. It seems our federal Public Safety Ministers have been tied up with RCMP issues for years whether it is treatment of women, poor training, and a host of other things. Of particular concern is that that the RCMP has a job vacancy rate of over 4% and Manitoba has one of the worst job placements in Canada. It can be frustrating going from one crisis to another underpowered.

Crime and Safety in Winnipeg 2022 Part 3

 

One area of crime that has hit hard these last years is property crime. You only need to have to your car, home or business struck by theft once to feel vulnerable and violated. Some people have had car windows smashed repeatedly or parts stolen, business windows smashed, break and enters and burglaries and it feels like it is endless and unsolvable. Worse, it isn't one area of town. It is everywhere. Plywood signs up all over windows and doors feel apocryphal. More on what helped reduce property crime in the past.

The pandemic, mental health issues, addictions, poverty and an indigenous community still hurting have contributed to the most recent painful period. Even before the pandemic, murder was up big time and amphetamine abuse skyrocketed leading to gang related crime, stabbings and the like. The five year data just released this week reflects that. There are some that blame the present Trudeau government for the rise in crime here. Critics are free to make that argument but their solutions if they solely lay in incarceration might not work if prison time seems more favourable than where they are now in terms of hunger, homelessness, mental health and addictions. 

A safe city is one where you live, work, get educated and seek recreation. If all four of those things are achievable in your community, it is likely to be safer and have less crime. The pandemic and the changes to work patterns for many of operating at home even now has had impacts we are still now coping with it. Some say fall of 2022 will mark a new accelerated return to work and school which will see more people on the streets of communities. Many businesses which closed may now have the customer base to re-open. Many new apartments have also been built including in the downtown area. As a general rule of thumb more people in an area and businesses open can generally create less ideal conditions for property crime or violence. It isn't a complete shield against crime but things are more likely to be reported and faster. The anonymous nature of property crime has to be taken away and that only happens when more people are out and about and report what they see.