Criminals must be kept off streets of Mississauga, Brampton through bail reform: police chief

Police in Mississauga, Brampton and across Ontario are commending the provincial government for its latest call on Ottawa to reform the bail system in order to keep dangerous criminals off the streets.

The Ontario government is pushing its federal counterpart to “urgently amend the Criminal Code” by introducing changes that will “tighten bail legislation to protect public safety and keep repeat and violent offenders off the streets,” Graham McGregor, associate minister of auto theft and bail reform, said at a Monday morning press conference in Toronto.

In speaking last week about gun violence this past summer in Mississauga and Brampton, Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said among his main concerns is dangerous criminals who are arrested and then quickly released on bail.

Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah says he’ll continue to push for bail reform.

There were 28 arrests made in 46 shootings in July and August in Peel, including one death, Peel police numbers show.

“Our officers have made 28 arrests related to these incidents and what’s alarming is more than half of those individuals are on some form of release, which includes bail,” the police chief said, adding it’s an issue for police across Ontario and one he’ll continue to prioritize in Peel.

“These repeat violent offenders pose a risk to our community. We’ve been very vocal in advocating for stronger bail conditions and changes to the bail system because the safety of our residents is non-negotiable.”

Six measures for bail reform

In a news release following Monday’s press conference, the province noted that while it has taken significant steps to fight auto theft and reform bail, including investing $29 million earlier this year to appoint new judges and hire new Crown prosecutors and staff to reduce the backlog of criminal cases in the courts, its ability to take further action to address serious crime and repeat offenders is limited by the federal Criminal Code.

• restore mandatory minimum sentencing for serious crimes, which this federal government removed, to ensure appropriate penalties and justice for victims
• remove bail availability for offenders charged with murder, terrorism, human trafficking, intimate partner violence, drug trafficking, criminal possession or use of restricted or prohibited firearms, and robbery (carjackings and home invasions)
• mandate a three-strike rule requiring pre-trial detention for repeat offenders so they are not allowed back on the street to commit more crimes before their day in court
• bring back restrictions on who can get conditional sentences for serious crimes so dangerous criminals receive sentences that match their actions
• require ankle monitors as a condition of bail for serious crimes
• remove credits that can be applied to sentences for time an accused spends in jail before trial for repeat and violent offenders

The province said those measures are within federal jurisdiction and are “essential to keeping the people and communities in our province safe.”

John Cerasuolo, president of the Ontario Provincial Police Association, said his troops strongly support bail reform.

He described the current state of affairs as a “catch and release system that results in many of the same accused persons being at large again to reoffend shortly after arrest. We feel that the safety of our community and our police officers are at risk with this system.”