The Niagara Region adding its muscle in wanting bail reform
Another victory lap for Niagara residents pushing for changes in the justice system and bail reform, after a 3-year old and 12-year old were assaulted.
Niagara Regional council will ask the federal and provincial governments to act, including making child sex offender registries public.
Last night Councillor Peter Secord applauded a number of people who got up to speak. "They're coming forward and telling their stories and getting involved instead of sitting, like most other Canadians, on their hands not doing anything. Don't make this about other things, there's a lot of other things that are wrong in this country with the laws, but this thing that happened here, in our region, is the worst of the worst of the worst, and it's gotta stop."
However, resident Saleh Waziruddin disagrees bail reform would have protected the 3-year old girl, and repeat offenders generally don't get bail.
Instead of jail, he stresses preventing crime in the first place. "Boston reduced murders by 60% with 10% fewer police. You're looking at capping budgets that are faced with increased police budgets because of more crime? Boston has less crime with smaller police force. Glasgow went from being the murder capital of Europe to 40% less violent crime in less than a decade. This wasn't with crackdowns and longer sentences."
The region joins a growing number of Niagara municipalities advocating for change.
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