Sept 3, 2021
Global TV News – Doyle Potenteau
Kelowna 3rd on national crime severity index: Statistics Canada
Crime stats make their way into every election. The link is a cautionary tale that addresses the question about the stand-off between the officially generated stats and the lived reality on the streets. The article raises issues around crime stats and suggests a gap between computed stats and the way people in the neighbourhood experience high crime rates. The report confronts both frequency and severity rates. Obviously, the second question, largely unanswered, is how to further reduce whatever crime is present. https://globalnews.ca/news/8075486/kelowna-3rd-worst-crime-index/ Related article: Global TV News – Leslie Young & Jamie Mauracher The opioid crisis is killing Canadians, but where is the political will to solve it? https://globalnews.ca/news/8155988/opioid-crisis-overdose-federal-election/ Related article: Abacus Data – Abacus Election Bulletin: What issues are the parties owning and how has the campaign changed perceptions? https://abacusdata.ca/issue-ownership-2021-election/ Related article: CBC News – How do the main parties compare on these issues? https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/elections/federal/2021/party-platforms/ Related article: Homeless Hub: Solvable: Our Plan to End Homelessness and Address Housing Need in Canada Vote Housing’s 2021 Federal Election Platform https://www.homelesshub.ca/resource/solvable-our-plan-end-homelessness-and-address-housing-need-canada (Article suggests six actionable items that should be part of every political party platform.) Related article: Toronto Star – Vincent Wong and Kennes Lin The racist history of Chinese labour in Canada shows not much has changed. Deemed essential, but still invisible https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2021/09/01/the-racist-history-of-chinese-labour-in-canada-shows-not-much-has-changed-deemed-essential-but-still-invisible.html?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=SocialMedia&utm_campaign=OpinionContributor&utm_content=labourhistory Related article: Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives / The Monitor Bruce Campbell Climate crisis and extreme wealth inequality: Joined at the hip – The climate crisis and unprecedented wealth inequality are not separate issues. https://monitormag.ca/articles/climate-crisis-and-extreme-wealth-inequality-joined-at-the-hip Related article: The Conversation (Queen’s) – R. Blake Brown Where the parties stand on gun control in the 2021 federal election https://theconversation.com/where-the-parties-stand-on-gun-control-in-the-2021-federal-election-166453?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20September%203%202021&utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20September%203%202021+CID_f768fe00becb98696d8b1645d2a01521&utm_source=campaign_monitor_ca&utm_term=Where%20the%20parties%20stand%20on%20gun%20control%20in%20the%202021%20federal%20election
Toronto Star – Alyshah Hasham
Ontario juries must be vaccinated starting next week
The past week heard an announcement that in preparation for a murder trial the judge had decided to exclude from jury selection anyone not fully vaccinated. Now the Chief Justice has ruled on the same issue: “Potential jurors who are unvaccinated or prefer not to answer the question will have their jury service deferred to a later date as of Sept. 7, Superior Court Justice Geoffrey Morawetz wrote in the order issued Tuesday. The order lasts until Oct. 8, but can be extended.” No one is offering an opinion about the impact or delay for jury trials, already with a considerable backlog. https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2021/09/01/ontario-juries-must-be-vaccinated-starting-next-week.html Related article: CBC News – Dan Taekema With Ontario’s vaccine certificate, advocates ask: how will it work for homeless people? https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/homeless-vaccine-passport-ontario-1.6161250 (Click on red button for full report.) Related article: Global News – Simon Little COVID-19: Protesters target several B.C. hospitals, decry vaccine ‘tyranny’ https://globalnews.ca/news/8159734/bc-vaccine-hospital-protests/
Prison Policy Initiative (US) – Alexi Jones and Wendy Sawyer
Arrest, Release, Repeat: How police and jails are misused to respond to social problems
The US criminal justice system has a feeder system for the mass incarceration problem: local jails where a night or few days in the lockup is the solution to social problems of all types. This study attempts to outline the context of the practice: “Police and jails are supposed to promote public safety. Increasingly, however, law enforcement is called upon to respond punitively to medical and economic problems unrelated to public safety issues. As a result, local jails are filled with people who need medical care and social services, many of whom cycle in and out of jail without ever receiving the help they need. Conversations about this problem are becoming more frequent, but until now, these conversations have been missing three fundamental data points: how many people go to jail each year, how many return, and which underlying problems fuel this cycle.” The analysis shows that race and poverty are a considerable factor and that at least one in four persons jailed are repeats within the same year, suggesting that the reasons for jailing are ignored. https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/repeatarrests.html Related article: The Atlantic (US) – David Frum How to Persuade Americans to Give Up Their Guns – The way to reduce gun violence is by convincing ordinary, “responsible” handgun owners that their weapons make them, their families, and those around them less safe. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/10/responsible-gun-ownership-is-a-lie/619811/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share Related article: New York Focus – Rory Fleming How New York Lets Prosecutors off the Hook for Misconduct – Not a single prosecutor appeared to have been disciplined for on-the-job misconduct in 2019. Even the state prosecutors association supports reforms. https://www.nysfocus.com/2021/09/01/how-new-york-lets-prosecutors-off-the-hook-for-misconduct/ USA Today / AP – Ex-prosecutor shielded men who chased and killed Ahmaud Arbery, misconduct charges allege https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/09/02/ahmaud-arbery-death-ex-prosecutor-indicted-misconduct-charges/5703989001/
Baltimore Sun (US) – Ayesha Delany-Brumsey and Kristen Mahoney
When a person is in crisis, who should take the call? Cities turn to community responders before police | COMMENTARY
Police across the country are beginning to recognize that they are inappropriate responders to a considerable percentage of calls for assistance, and are beginning to look to community health partners to take the lead on these calls, some would suggest as high as about 40% of the calls. Depending on local circumstances, there are considerable differences now noted between the over 100 such combined services involving police and community agencies now funded by the Bureau of Justice. “Crisis response programs can vary, but most are mobile units staffed by health professionals, such as social workers or community paramedics, dispatched as first responders to 911 calls.” https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-op-0716-crisis-responders-20210715-644hwk7dn5bofh34daij4jtvei-story.html Related article: Smart Policing Initiatives (US) – Op-Ed Highlights BJA Support for Collaboration between Law Enforcement and Behavioral Health Providers https://www.smart-policing.com/resources/op-ed-highlights-bja-support-collaboration-between-law-enforcement-and-behavioral-health Related article: CBC News – Catherine Tunney Survey shows majority of Mounties struggling with job stress – 72% per cent of respondents pointed to work-life balance as an issue https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/rcmp-survey-mental-health-1.6161975