Pubdate: Mon, 16 Dec 2013
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Copyright: 2013 The Globe and Mail Company
Contact:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168
Author: Jim Bronskill

POLICE CHIEFS SUPPORT TICKETING PLAN

Idea Comes From Discussions Begun by the Federal Government on 
Curbing Rising Cost of Justice System

Police would have the option of ticketing people for a range of minor 
offences - instead of laying criminal charges - under a plan that 
could yield significant savings for the cash-strapped justice system.

The idea has emerged from discussions fostered by the federal 
government on curbing the rising costs of policing, said Timothy 
Smith, a spokesman for the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police.

Under the proposal, officers would have the option of ticketing 
people for offences such as causing a disturbance, public nudity, 
falsifying an employment record, soliciting prostitution, vagrancy or 
trespassing.

It builds on a resolution the chiefs of police passed last August 
that would give officers the discretion to issue a ticket under the 
Contraventions Act for possession of a small amount of cannabis.

"This is all part of the economics of policing initiative and the 
discussion that's taking place to find ways in which we can more 
efficiently handle these types of issues," Mr. Smith said in an 
interview. "In the case of some of these other offences, should they 
be criminally charged, or would a ticket be a better enforcement 
option for all those involved within the judicial system and 
policing? That's the kind of thinking that's going on."

Last January, the federal public safety minister, on behalf of 
provincial and territorial counterparts, hosted a summit on the 
economics of policing that included officers and chiefs from across 
the country, government officials and academics.

Officials say the cost of policing is steadily rising - hitting more 
than $12-billion in 2010 - even though the crime rate is falling. 
Among the reasons: increases in police officer salaries, higher costs 
for equipment and fuel, and new challenges such as dealing with 
people who have mental health issues.

Participants are looking for efficiencies within police services, new 
models of community safety and possible savings within the broader 
justice system. Giving someone a ticket for a relatively minor 
offence may be "more appropriate" than sending that person to 
criminal court, a process that "clogs the system up," said Mark 
Mander, police chief in Kentville, N.S.

Two of Chief Mander's officers recently spent a full day in court and 
never ended up testifying, said Chief Mander, head of the police 
chiefs' drug abuse committee.

"But they had to be there, right? We see that with even minor 
offences, where they're there all day and not having to testify."

He sees the ticketing option as another tool for police.

"But we also want to make sure that the police officers retain the 
right to lay the formal charge as well - so they still need that 
discretionary option, depending on the circumstances."

In late August, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the government was 
looking very carefully at the notion of a ticketing proposal for a 
small amount of marijuana. The police chiefs say they've heard nothing yet.

However, last month ministers responsible for justice and public 
safety from across Canada approved a common agenda to improve the 
efficiency and effectiveness of policing.

In addition, the Chiefs of Police plan a conference on mental health 
in March in Toronto to discuss the reality that police have become 
the social workers of the street. With supports for the mentally ill 
lacking, there is pressure on officers to pick up the slack - eating 
into scarce resources.

"That's another huge area that falls under this as well," Mr. Smith 
said. "So how can we improve those interactions?"
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom