Goertzen wants Criminal Code changed for bear spray, as WPS notes increase in incidents
Posted September 21, 2022 5:10 pm.
Manitoba’s justice minister is hoping the Criminal Code can be updated related to bear spray.
Kelvin Goertzen wants Section 84 of the Criminal Code to include bear spray that is modified for use on people as a prohibited weapon.
The justice minister also wants to make it more difficult for someone who uses bear pray in an assault to obtain bail.
Goertzen wrote to federal Justice Minister David Lametti asking for the changes.
“There has been a significant increase in the use of modified bear spray by criminals as a weapon against people, particularly in the City of Winnipeg and recent changes to Canadian law make it more difficult to punish those who intend to use it in criminal acts,” Goertzen wrote.
“Following recent changes resulting from court decisions, it has become more difficult to charge individuals with using bear spray as a prohibited weapon against people.”
Goertzen says the Winnipeg Police Service has expressed concern about offenders modifying bear spray canisters to avoid detection.
He says modified bear spray has been used in recent random attacks, such as on Winnipeg transit.
“The seemingly indiscriminate nature of some of these assaults is frustrating and troubling for Winnipeggers and all Manitobans,” Goertzen said.
The WPS shared data with Goertzen that shows Winnipeg is on pace for a record-setting 1,200 incidents involving bear spray this year.
That would represent a 40 per cent increase from 2021.
