Bail reform needed to curb 'repeat prolific offenders' in Portage la Prairie: Mayor

CBC

5 hours ago

The mayor of Portage la Prairie and the owner of a local boutique are calling for changes to bail reform laws after a repeat thief stole from the shop yet again on Tuesday afternoon.
Janna Braaksma, owner of 3's Company Boutique on Saskatchewan Avenue, said she and other local business owners deal with repeat shoplifters regularly, but Tuesday's incident was "the straw that broke the camel's back."
"She walked in the door, she went to exactly the brand [of jeans] that she wanted and it happened in 40 seconds and she was out the door," Braaksma said, adding the woman had already been banned from the store.
Braaksma said she immediately called community safety officers when the woman came in but it all happened so fast that the woman was out the door before the phone call was even answered.
Security camera footage of the incident, which happened around 2:30 p.m., was posted by Braaksma to her store's Facebook page. It garnered tens of thousands of views and hundreds of shares, she said.
"When it comes to repeat offenders and repeat people in our store doing these thefts …it's getting beyond frustrating," she said.
An RCMP spokesperson told CBC News a 45-year-old woman was arrested on Wednesday in connection to the theft. Charges are pending.
Mayor Sharilyn Knox has loudly been calling for changes to Canada's bail system alongside Manitoba MLAs since January, when a woman was killed in a three-vehicle collision near the city by an alleged drunk driver who had an outstanding warrant for his arrest.
In March, Manitoba MLAs unanimously passed a motion to bolster bail enforcement and crack down on people who break release conditions.
That motion follows a five-point plan to deal with repeat offenders, introduced by the province last year. That plan includes more money for Crown attorneys, police and law enforcement agencies and community support programs.
Knox said there aren't many "prolific repeat offenders" in the community, but a small number of people are doing a great deal of harm.
Crime in the city has improved since community safety officers started patrolling the streets, she said, adding the city is increasing the number of officers from four to seven.
"We're not just going to sit back and let this happen. We're going to keep advocating for change, in not only our community but in our province and across the country," Knox said.
She has worked closely with the provincial government to advocate for bail reform and she was pleased to hear Prime Minister Mark Carney touch on the issue when municipal leaders met with him for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference in Ottawa earlier this month.
"People across this country want change and they want to feel safe in their communities and they want to know that our governments and our systems are working to enhance that, not to continually fight against it," she said.
Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe, in a statement to CBC News, said the government is "committed to getting tough on crime and the causes of crime."
He said the province's five-point bail plan and a return to the ankle bracelet monitoring program will help crack down on repeat offenders.
"I have spoken to Mayor Knox and we will continue working in partnership to urge the federal government to make meaningful changes to the bail system," Wiebe said.
CBC News reached out to the federal Department of Justice for comment on Wednesday but did not receive a response before publication.
Knox said police in her community are doing a great job but she worries that without further bail reform they will remain on a "hamster wheel" that keeps seeing the same people arrested over and over again.
Braaksma said the current bail system is akin to a "catch-and-release" with limited consequences. She also wants to see changes.