Representatives from downtown business associations across Canada are calling on the federal government to reform bail laws due to criminal activities by repeat offenders making it difficult for businesses to thrive.
The International Downtown Association Canada held a press conference on Parliament Hill on Oct. 8, urging immediate action to address repeat offenders, mental health, addictions, and homelessness, which they argue are at the heart of the public safety crisis in urban centres.
Kate Fenske, the chair of IDA Canada, said that the Nonviolent Crime Survey Index shows that property and drug offences have increased by around 10% over the last two years, while shoplifting has increased by nearly 20%.
“IDA Canada is urging the federal government to help ensure our downtowns and main streets are inclusive and safe spaces for everyone by initiating a systematic review across the country concerning the bail system and implementing further changes to the system by reforming Bill C-48 to address theft,” she said.
Fenske said the current bail system does not protect Canadians or small businesses.
Following the alleged murder of a British Columbia woman by a man released from jail on bail just days earlier, Canada’s premiers called for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to reform the bail system.
The premiers called for a review of the implementation and application of Bill C-48, along with an analysis of bail data since the bill’s enactment.
Following the call, the federal government said they’d done their part and that it was time for the provinces to administer the law.
Fenske and IDA Canada joined the call for a systematic review of Bill C-48 by the Liberals.
“Every single day in communities across Canada, there are stories of crime perpetrated by an individual who was on bail or breached bail conditions,” said Fenske.
The various members of IDA Canada that spoke reminded people that they were not experts in the many fields with which they raised concerns, such as crime, but asked the Liberals to listen to the experts and the provinces urging for reform.
Chief Executive Officer of the Downtown Victoria Business Association, Jeff Bray, said businesses and their staff have begun to feel so unsafe that businesses are struggling to recruit and retain employees. He added that customers feel too unsafe to come downtown as well.
“We really need the federal government to include these multiple nonviolent offenders within bail reform,” said Bray.
Fenske said that while addressing the issue, politics need to be put aside, and all levels of government need to work together to address public safety. She noted, however, that the federal government needs to take a leadership role.
While urging bail reform, IDA Canada also called for the Liberals to dedicate additional funding to address the crises of addictions, mental health, and homelessness.
IDA Canada said in a press release that the Liberals could create safe and inclusive downtowns by addressing repeat offender crimes and crimes of theft from small businesses in reforms to Bill C-48.
“Repeat offenders are major drivers of crime, and the bail system is not working to protect Canadians,” said Fenske in the release. “Confidence in public safety is very low – this issue is too urgent to delay.”
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre previously pledged to end Canada’s catch-and-release bail system.