Crime on the Agenda
They probably could have started off with today’s announcement with regarding the Conservative’s stance on crime, rather than the other day’s one. At least if they wished to focus attention on the one dealing with things which are debatable (house arrest being used liberally is an issue to be limited and could have some merit) rather than something which is being panned by several criminologists.
Regarding the house arrest issue, let’s look at the list of what Harper’s aiming for:
- Serious property crimes, such as robbery, auto theft, breaking and entering, and arson.
- Weapons offences, such as possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
- Serious vehicular crimes, such as impaired driving causing bodily harm or death.
- Drug trafficking, kidnapping and trafficking in persons.
The last three points I’d agree with, as house arrest is probably not warranted (barring situational circumstances). But point one (except arson)? Unless your aim is to try and reduce gang crime, which does seem to be a bit of a problem in certain regions in Canada, by increasing penalties on the crimes typically associated with them (and this idea that more punishment = less crime is, in and of itself, rather specious) I don’t see this doing much beyong being able to say “We’re tough on crime.”
Now, with regard to ammending the Youth Justice Act, what the hell? When it’s being shown that this (starting to extend sentences on children and reducing protections for children) is a terrible idea, and you have UN adopting the Convention on the Rights of the Child to specifically address the fact that children need special legal protections because of their immaturity, it’s rather appalling that there would be a proposition to relax these very protections for the purpose of an election talking point. And with quotes like:
I don’t think you should be able to hide behind anonymity just because you’re under 18. ~Ken Boessenkool, Conservative Strategist; on CBC just before 6 pm today.
‘Yes, we believe they’re wrong,’ Harper said. ‘We’re listening to ordinary people, not people who work in ivory towers, but people who actually work on the street and deal with crime on a day-to-day basis.’
It’s disconcerting to the extent with which Harper and his campaign will eschew actual solutions to the problem of crime (and youth crime) by addressing the various socio-economic circumstances driving it, as well as the people most knowledgable of crime in general all to try and ‘connect’ with voters.
