Pubdate: Mon, 16 Dec 2013
Source: Cape Breton Post (CN NS)
Copyright: 2013 Cape Breton Post
Contact:  http://www.capebretonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/777
Author: Jim Bronskill
Page: A12

PROPOSED TICKETING SCHEME FOR MINOR OFFENCES COULD REALLY SAVE POLICE CASH

OTTAWA - 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," 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 Mander's officers recently spent a full day in court and never
ended up testifying, said 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.
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MAP posted-by: Matt