| PUBLICATION:
The Winnipeg Sun DATE: 2005.07.20 EDITION: Final SECTION: Editorial/Opinion PAGE: 9 BYLINE: ROBERT MARSHALL Robert Marshall was a police officer for 27 years before retiring last spring. E-mail comments to rm112800@hotmail.com Letters to the editor should be sent to: editor@wpgsun.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DON'T BUY FEEL-GOOD CRIME STATS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A system that frustrates and confounds victims and their families was the dominating theme at last week's Rally for Justice at the Manitoba Legislative grounds. Ray Crowder was shot in the back of the head two years ago. Speaking from the heart, Ray's mother Judy said: "You don't understand what happens to you when you're told they're dead ... there's something in you that is ripped out and can never be fixed. It's gone forever." A plea bargain reached at the end of May will likely see Crowder's killer out by Christmas. Randa Trudeau's son, Morgan, was killed after being smashed with a baseball bat. There was a plea bargain in that case and Trudeau is bracing for a light sentence. A deal means sparing the victim's family the further trauma of a trial but Trudeau's message to the system is to bring it on. "Don't spare me. I want to go to trial. I will gladly go through any trauma to bring about justice for Morgan." Floyd Wiebe's son, T.J., was killed in 2003. Both youth and adult courts have kept that matter floating in the system for two years. Wiebe is convinced that the killers of Ray Crowder and Morgan Trudeau will be free long before his son's matter is ever resolved. Jack McLaughlin, whose son was killed outside a popular Pembina Highway bar, was forced to swallow the six months custody that killer received. He summed up the rally's message. It's time to get tough. But will the message get through to Canada's decision-makers? Don't hold your breath. In fact government is more likely to tell you that they're doing a grand job on the crime front and that they're more than happy with the array of initiatives and programs they've introduced. Witness a recent parliamentary debate surrounding the slaughter of the four Mounties in Mayerthorpe, Alta. Liberal MP Paul Devillers went to great lengths to talk about a misinformed public. With some pride he took "issue with the picture that is being painted of our criminal justice system letting us down." He went on about "the misconception that violent crime is on the increase." He then put all his eggs in the statistic basket that indicates "violent crime is not increasing; it is decreasing." Finally, claiming "our society is a safer place than it was in the past few years ... (and that many have) the wrong impression." Hmmm. I wonder how he'd explain that with every day that passes organized crime becomes further entrenched in communities across the country. And with it comes an elaborate and burgeoning drug trade chaperoned by undeniable violence. Just look at some of the known activities of organized crime. A high-noon style shootout on Portage Avenue. A firebombing of a 7-Eleven store. A botched one at a cop's house. Abductions. A shootout that left two wounded in Little Italy. All rooted in underworld activity and until recently all foreign to Winnipeg. Not anymore. And that's just a small snapshot. Organized crime has intimidation and fear in its arsenal. That allows much if not most of the iniquitous behaviour, the shootings, the kidnappings, the beatings and drug trafficking to go unreported. But it's still real, stat or no stat. Justice officials who tell you violence is on the wane are lying. If they believe it they're naive. As for MP DeVillers and his bag of statistics, think about this. Most crime stats can say whatever you want. Except when it comes to cars and murders. While the bean-counters cipher more stolen cars than ever -- up 31% last year -- and a record number of homicides to match, does anybody really need to scratch their heads wondering if other crime is on the rise? Serious crime goes unreported not only because of fear but also apathy. A few years ago my partner and I were involved in an extensive canvass of the Langside-Young-Balmoral area following the discovery of a badly beaten male on the banks of the Assiniboine. During that investigation we uncovered victims of a home-invasion, a sexual assault and two muggings. All occurred within 24 hours in a one-square-block area. All unreported by people who wanted nothing to do with what they saw as a largely abortive justice system. And how about this. Damiao Cabral should be serving a sentence for sexually assaulting and beating a woman over an eight-hour period, four years ago. Except the judge can't sentence him. You see Cabral has refused to come out of his cell to be sentenced -- twice in six months. And while accommodating such nonsense his case continues to be adjourned. He's been told to come out of his hole by July 26 or else. And some wonder why people are apathetic. Here's another message from the rally. How about a little reality. Quit pretending a problem is not there. Just deal with it. And above all don't allow victims and their families to be used as doormats for cons to wipe their feet -- on their way to freedom. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CRIMINAL CODE INCIDENTS PER POLICE OFFICER HAVE DOUBLED SINCE 1962 http://www.cssa-cila.org/garryb/publications/PoliceresourcesinCanada.pdf STATISTICS CANADA TABLE
SHOWS VIOLENT CRIME RATE MORE THAN 4 TIMES GREATER THAN IN 1962! STATISTICS CANADA:
622 HOMICIDES REPORTED IN 2004; A 12 PERCENT INCREASE FROM 2003 |