Minister seeks to sharpen teeth of criminal justice system

BY WENDY ELLIOTT

welliott@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com “We all agree it’s time to do things differently. People are concerned and frankly afraid at what has happened to our youth. Every time they turn on the radio and hear about another violent act committed by a young offender, they ask why? For many Nova Scotians, from my hometown of Sydney Mines to here in the Valley, it hits too close to home.”

Justice Minister Cecil Clarke told the Eastern Kings Board of Trade last week, “you have a need and a right to be protected, and I want to assure you we are addressing the prevention of crime, not just the enforcement.”

With last December’s strategy, Time to Fight Crime Together, Clarke said the province feels compelled to be much more proactive and collaborative.

Crime is complex, he said. “Addressing it means we must start today with reaching out to young people with community-led early intervention programs for youth in conflict with the law.”

The plan to hire 250 new police officers by 2011 just received another boost from the federal government, he noted. Boots-To-The Street has resulted in funding to hire a new police officer on the Kentville police force and two more RCMP officers in New Minas. “They are stepping up the fight against drugs, theft, assaults, child pornography, school safety, family violence, impaired driving and proceeds of crime.”

Police in the southwest region have disrupted 22 organized crime groups and arrested 52 people in relation to organized crime activities. They also laid 74 drugs charges.

The two-month-old Integrated Impaired Driving Enforcement Unit, comprised of RCMP, Bridgewater Police Service and Kentville Police Service personnel, is aimed at getting more impaired drivers off the road.

Break the cycle of criminal behaviour

Clarke described a prevention pilot in his hometown, Children at the Critical Hour (CATCH), which was developed by a community group to help and hold accountable children aged 8-12 who have harmed others or have harmed property. “Experts believe we are making progress reaching out to youth before they are teenagers,” Clarke said. “They believe this program promotes positive, emotional development and breaks the cycle that entrenches the child in criminal behaviour.”

Already the justice department has found that youth bail supervision increases the accountability of young offenders and keeps the community safer. “We can’t let the actions of a few take away from the vast majority of law-abiding citizens.” He noted his department is developing a restitution collection program to help improve the collection of court-ordered restitution from offenders to their victims and expanding electronic supervision, to include voice verification as well as GPS technology and ankle bracelets for young offenders.

A recently introduced provincial law, Clarke noted, the new Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act, passed an important legal test in the Supreme Court in Kentville.

Acting on complaints from neighbours, the Public Safety Investigation Unit was able to secure a community safety order that was issued to residents of a Berwick trailer. The court was satisfied that the investigation proved drug activity was occurring regularly at the residence. The occupants have until March 31 to move somewhere else.

Take back the neighbourhood “I believe this legislation gives citizens the tools to take back their neighbourhoods,” he said. Clarke added youth need more activities and more ways to connect with their communities. “Through our crime prevention strategy, we created a fund to support recreational, educational, life-skills and other after-school programs for youth that will engage them in positive activities.”

The Nova Scotia government wants distinct changes to the federal Youth Criminal Justice Act. The first step to the process will be to show support for federal Bill C-25, An Act to Amend the Youth Criminal Justice Act, which was introduced last November. If passed, the bill would give judges the option of detaining young people before their trial if they appear to be a risk to society.

Clarke said the aim is to give judges more power to keep suspected young criminals behind bars or under other supervision, to expand time for court-ordered treatment and support programs at places such as youth attendance centres, to simplify and clarify the law to make it easier for police, prosecutors and the courts to administer and enforce.

A youth attendance centre could be in place in the Valley by late fall, Clarke said. “I am personally determined to see that the federal government hears your concerns to give the courts more options to hold young offenders in custody,” he stated. Publishing the names of repeat young offenders is one change Clarke is advocating to deter young people from reoffending. 

 “If someone doesn’t want to have their name given, don’t commit an offence. It’s very simple,” Clarke said.

The justice minister is advocating for the establishment of a forensic facility in Nova Scotia. Currently, items from crime scenes take six to eight months to analyze.