How to fight violent crime in Winnipeg? Some mayoral candidates weigh in
Posted August 27, 2022 12:08 pm.
A few mayoral candidates running for the city’s top job shared their proposed plan for fighting violent crime in Winnipeg.
Robert Falcon-Ouellette, former mayor Glen Murray, Scott Gillingham and Kevin Klein weighed in on how they would approach the issue, if elected.
Robert Falcon-Ouellette
Falcon-Ouellette say she would put a freeze on the police budget for the next four years and divert that money to create a community safety and innovation fund.
“This new fund, would be open to applications by community groups, organizations, and also the police to provide funding to create proactive programs to reduce crime.”
He says for too long the city has thrown money at the police to solve issues they are not equipped for and shouldn’t have to oversee.
“They are treated as the Swiss Army Knife for the city’s problems. The police are responding to calls better served by community organizations.”
Falcon-Ouellette says Winnipeggers are frustrated.
“All of us are looking for more from the police, and more of a say as to the policing that they do.”
Glen Murray
Fellow candidate Murray is proposing to utilize community groups to use eyes-on-the-street strategies, and go after illegal activity before a crime is committed.
“Why, when we know the address of crime in our neighbourhood, are we not more effective in dealing with it?” he said. “Why does it take an act of extreme violence or murder before it’s dealt with?
Murray is promising to build a multi-problem building committee to bring all city departments together to focus on gang and drug houses reported by eyes on the streets.
He also wants to link police officers to neighbourhood community groups to provide vital information they need to properly police an area.
“There are solutions and they’re complicated, but they’re doable, and they involve everybody,” said the former Winnipeg mayor.
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Scott Gillingham
Candidate Scott Gillingham has also said he’d combine civilian and police initiatives, as well as accelerate projects to re-task wellness and non-emergency calls to civilian responders to free up general patrol officers.
Kevin Klein
Last week candidate Kevin Klein took a different approach, saying he’d allow police to use more of their current budget.
“There is no 10-point plan that will work,” said Klein. “The only answer is taking action immediately.
“The Winnipeg police service has to give $10 million a year back to the city for rent, when those dollars could be addressing our crime, and social issues in the city.”
