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Editorial: Criminals are winning these days

Everyone should feel safe on our streets, but right now our streets are not safe.
Break in suspect

For months now, the provincial NDP government has been under fire for its catch-and-release justice system.

Repeat offenders continue to get a slap on the wrist and in many cases, are released hours or days after their time in custody where they once again wreak havoc on average, everyday citizens.

Vancouver has seen a huge uptick in repeat offenders committing crime after crime with no consequences. It was a major topic during the municipal election and newly-elected Mayor Ken Sim had vowed to tackle this issue head-on.

Delta is not immune to these career criminals.

I recently reported on a serious incident in Tsawwassen where a man with 39 previous convictions, including multiple assaults and one conviction for manslaughter in 2018, was arrested by police and is facing several charges including threats to the public and law enforcement with a weapon.

My question to our provincial political leaders is why was this man walking the streets? Why were police in danger? Why was the public in danger? Thirty-nine convictions and this clown is not in jail? Our justice system is a joke.

Recently Attorney General Murray Rankin and Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth were in Ottawa meeting with federal, provincial and territorial ministers and have secured a commitment from the feds on addressing repeat offending nationwide.

And while this is a start – we still have a long way to go. And what does securing a commitment really mean? It means more meetings and more talk.

Well talk is cheap. We need some real action. We need funding now for police forces, mental health workers, addiction services and action from our justice system to get these criminals locked up for good.

Everyone should feel safe on our streets, but right now our streets are not safe.

The criminals are the ones winning these days.