Pubdate: Thu, 14 Mar 2013
Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB)
Copyright: 2013 Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact:  http://www.edmontonsun.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/135
Author: Jackie L. Larson
Page 7

CRIME A NEW HOT TOPIC

EDMONTON - Alberta Premier Alison Redford defended the proposed 
2013-14 budget as "tough on crime" despite eliminating monitoring 
ankle bracelets to track sex offenders on probation, and getting rid 
of prosecution for first and second minor property offences.

"It is unfortunate that we did have to make tough choices with 
respect to the ankle bracelets, but that does not mean for any 
reasons the courts are going to be allowing criminals to walk free," 
Redford said Wednesday.

"If we don't have the ability to ensure that we can locate people, 
secure people and the police can connect to them, then they're not 
going to be let out of jail."

Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith said that argument wouldn't comfort Albertans.

"Why doesn't this government care about the potential danger to our 
communities of losing track of dangerous offenders, child molesters 
and other criminals?" Smith asked.

"The premier has OK'd a decision to ignore first and second offences 
for lawbreakers. The Crown won't even prosecute them. Doesn't the 
premier realize if you offer two freebie crimes, there's going to be 
a whole lot more crime?" Smith asked, suggesting more police may be needed.

Redford said no police, prosecutor or judge positions were eliminated.

"The budget that was tabled last week very proudly defended a 
tough-on-crime agenda," she said.

Hypothetical allegations that scare people aren't "appropriate," she added.

The province's Safe Communities and Neighborhoods program had its 
funding slashed by $7 million.

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Jonathan Denis said the Tories will crack 
down on marijuana grow-ops, saying 792 grow-ops have been found in 
the province in the past five years.

"We'll be looking at developing new legislation to crack down on this 
insidious crime," Denis said.

Wildrose MLA Heather Forsyth asked if the Redford government has a 
plan in place to reduce or eliminate all traffic prosecutors.

"To date, there is no plan," Denis said. Same for concerns rural 
traffic courts would be closed, he said.

"Perhaps maybe we want to look at relocating traffic court outside of 
traditional courthouses, and making it more accessible to ... the 
public," he said.

Prosecutors have many tools to deal with crime, Denis said.

"When you talk about individuals who deserve to be behind bars, I'm 
talking about murderers, I'm talking about people who perpetrate 
sexual assaults. On the lower end, we could actually rehabilitate 
some of these people and, at the same time, save taxpayer dollars," he said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom