Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, Peel Police demand bail reform to stop violent crimes
Published October 6, 2021 at 10:14 am
Changes to the criminal justice system are needed to stop repeated patterns of violent crime, says Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown with the backing of Peel Regional Police.
During his weekly press conference on today (October 6), Brown expressed concerns he has for the safety and wellbeing of residents due to the ease in which people arrested for crimes are quickly released.
“Too often we see a revolving door justice system, where I see families that are shattered, and the senseless, avoidable loss of life because of loopholes in the justice system,” he said. “We need to advocate governments to close those loopholes, because there’s nothing more disappointing than to see our frontline police officers do the hard work—great investigative work—to make sure that those who should be behind bars are, only to see them released.”
Brown and Michael Palleschi, Brampton city councillor for Wards 2 and 6 expressed frustrations related to recent examples of injuries and death at the hands of individuals who had been apprehended by police but then released shortly thereafter on bail.
“Just over a year ago, a Brampton woman was murdered (allegedly) by her boyfriend, while he was out on bail. If our justice system worked, she would still be alive today,” Pallaschi said. “Under our current laws, violent crimes get a slap on the wrist, while their victims get a slap in the face.”
A Brampton woman, Darun Henry, who was recently assaulted in Massey Park expressed her frustration with the system, which she believes played a direct role in her experience.
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“After all of the hard work that the police and the mayor have done to amplify my voice, the bail system has failed victims,” she said. “What is it going to take, for our communities to feel safe? What is it going to take for justice to be served? Do we need to be dead in a park for something to happen?”
Brown expressed his own frustration with Henry’s assault, explaining the person who was apprehended is now out on bail.
“Peel Police realized a person was targeting women in parks across Peel Region and were able to make an arrest. Unfortunately, the individual is out on bail,” he said. “It’s just another example that illustrates the weaknesses of our justice system in Canada. It’s frustrating to see example after example that is avoidable.”
Peel Regional Police Superintend Hubert Hiltz, who appeared with Brown at the news conference, believes reform is necessary, and that it is a collaborative issue.
“We need our justice system members to work together and address bail reform. This issue is an opportunity for us to collaborate and critically look at the current systems to make them better,” Hiltz said. “The current system is basically useless in preventing impulsive, violent criminals from reoffending. With added restrictions and other interventions put into legislation, we could mitigate the risk of future violent crimes. We all share the responsibility to reduce violence and prevent further victimization.”
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