It appears Alberta's UCP government had enough of the federal Liberals' “catch and release” bail system..In 2019, the federal government updated laws that require peace officers and judicial officers to default to releasing people on bail at the earliest opportunity with the least onerous conditions. This is referred to as the 'principle of restraint.'.“Time and time again, violent offenders commit crimes and then are out on bail to commit more acts of violence and more crime. For this to change, the federal government must amend its Criminal Code,” Alberta Minister of Justice Tyler Shandro said..“All provinces and territories stood united and demanded this of the federal government in order to make real change. And the federal government agreed to amend Canada’s Criminal Code as early as this legislative session.”.On Tuesday, the UCP government took action to combat social disorder and improve public safety in response to increasing crime in the province’s big cities..READ MORE: Ellis says 'enough is enough,' adds 100 cops to Alberta streets.In both Edmonton and Calgary, criminal activity is on the rise. Between July 2022 and January 2023, Edmonton’s LRT and transit centres experienced an increase in violent criminal incidents of 75%. In Calgary, overall criminal occurrences at LRT stations increased by 46% between 2021 and 2022..Alberta Premier Danielle Smith directed Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis to work with his cabinet colleagues to develop a plan to hire 100 more street-level police officers over the next 18 months to increase the visible law enforcement presence and tackle criminal activity in high-crime locations in Calgary and Edmonton..“Safety on public streets is never negotiable. We can address root causes like mental health and addiction at the same time, but we will not compromise on security for all Calgarians and Edmontonians,” Smith said..“This starts with the federal government reforming its broken catch-and-release bail system and includes us working with cities and police services to fight back against criminals.”.Changes to federal bail laws also include peace officers and judicial officers must also consider the circumstances of an accused person who is aboriginal or a member of a vulnerable population who is overrepresented in the justice system and may be at a disadvantage in getting bail..“The March 10 meeting of Canada’s attorneys general, Justice and Public Safety ministers about bail was long overdue. But not as long overdue as addressing the current bail system this country has,” Shandro said..“It is worth repeating: The law on bail is fundamentally unsound and must be reformed. Alberta calls on the federal government to walk the walk, live up to its promise and make this change now. It is the right thing to do.”.The UCP government said federal changes have made it easier to get bail, which means prolific and repeat offenders may cause more harm in Alberta’s communities..There have been 1.4 million Criminal Code offences in Alberta from 2018-21 and 62% of adults accused of serious and/or violent crimes were granted bail. 27.9% of accused adults were remanded while under bail in 2021-22..On January 13, premiers from all 13 provinces and territories sent a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urging him to fix Canada’s bail system..The UCP government said it's taking action to enhance public safety and is suggesting Albertans write their federal Member of Parliament and voice their support to amend the Canadian bail system..“Victims, law enforcement and all Albertans have been waiting far too long for this to happen,” Shandro said.
