Alberta making changes to Crown prosecutors to fight rise in violent crime
CBC
The Alberta government is making changes to criminal prosecutions to reduce the rise in violent crime.
Justice Minister Mickey Amery says special teams of Crown prosecutors will be formed to focus on violent crime and criminals in Edmonton and Calgary.
Prosecutors will also be given new direction to argue before judges that violent repeat offenders should either be held in custody or be subject to bail rules that will ensure public safety.
"There's an increasing sense that our justice system is not holding criminals publicly accountable for their actions and letting the public suffer the consequences," Amery told a news conference Monday.
"This is simply unacceptable."
The new teams are to be drawn from the existing pool of 300 prosecutors and will specialize in issues plaguing downtown communities, such as drug houses.
Amery also announced the province's 2017 triage protocol for prosecutors is no longer necessary and will be abandoned.
The protocol was implemented to stop cases from being tossed out due to excessive delays. Prosecutors were asked to take resources into consideration when deciding to pursue some cases, including seeking plea deals and considering whether cases were winnable.
The province has hired 50 more prosecutors in recent years, and Amery said the Crown Prosecution Service has assured it can handle the increased workload as the triage protocol is abandoned.
Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis said the changes come with other previously announced supports, including money for 50 new police officers in both Edmonton and Calgary respectively, as well as $5 million for each city to make transit rides safer.
Ellis said the province is tackling root causes of crime through a number of measures, including 10,000 new publicly funded addiction treatment spaces.
But Ellis said residents' immediate needs can't be ignored.
"You have the right to walk down the street without being violently attacked," said Ellis.
"You have a right to take transit without inhaling second-hand crystal meth smoke. And you have a right to walk downtown without being caught between clashes of violent organized crime gangs."
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