It’s no wonder downtown city streets in some many Canadian cities are seeing fewer shoppers, diners and retailers.
Shoplifters, muggers, druggies and crazies have taken them over … not just at night, but even during daytime … thanks to our incompetent justice system that handcuffs/punishes more law-abiding citizens than criminals!
Why?
Because FEDERAL bail and sentencing laws for years, have favored those who commit crimes over their victims.
Crime is destroying Canada’s urban areas … and yet, so far in this election, the issue has not received the attention it deserves.
It’s time ALL the leaders/candidates are called on the carpet and forced to confront the problems with specific solutions.
Vancouver recently reported shoplifting incidents in 2024 were up 11.7% from the year before … topping 7,600 cases. And police acknowledged the actual figures were even higher … but don’t get reported.
In the city’s downtown core, theft was up 40% … in just one year!!! (Read the full story here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/retail-security-task-force-city-of-vancouver-1.7500441. )
And how’s this: 200 of those actually caught and arrested for shoplifting, police say, had 4,695 prior convictions!
The impact on Vancouver’s downtown of crime/homelessness/druggies and crazies all but taking over (thanks largely to the provincial NDP buying up/transforming Granville area hotels into an extension of Hastings/Main) has been HUGE: https://vancouversun.com/business/fewer-shoppers-more-vacancies-whats-behind-downtown-vancouver-slump.)
But the spread of urban crime is now a national issue.
In Toronto, when Crime Stoppers focused on shoplifting for three months, they “saw 425 reports filed – an average of 4.5 reports daily – totaling $190,876 in stolen goods”, the Toronto Sun reported.
“Since Crime Stoppers Toronto’s last campaign on this issue in 2023, retail theft has grown from $5 billion to “a staggering $9.1 billion retail crisis for Canadian retailers annually as estimated by the Retail Council of Canada,” said the Sun. (You can read their full article here: https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/toronto-crime-stoppers-offers-500-reward-for-retail-theft-tips-this-is-no-longer-shoplifting.
And this is just retail theft. Time and space doesn’t allow for full details here of how bad/widespread more serious crimes have also become … muggings, major thefts, robberies, stabbings, murders.
The bail system is a joke … to criminals …. and when convictions occur, the sentences are far too often a bigger joke … and an insult/tragedy for victims!
Canada’s urban areas have become criminal sanctuaries … and the biggest problem is our courts!!!
Judges have failed to protect our citizens; federal laws, rules and precedents have made it almost impossible for true justice to be handed down, let alone be respected.
The federal parties … especially the Liberals (in power for 10 years) should have to answer for Canada’s criminal decline … which we are ALL paying for, in many, many ways.
Let’s hope some true journalists start confronting Carney and Poilievre SERIOUSLY on the urban recidivist crime/violence issue and WHAT SPECIFICALLY they will do to solve it?
And maybe an entire section of the televised debates should be devoted to how Canadians no longer feel safe walking in our own downtowns … or even our own neighbourhoods!
Harv Oberfeld
(Follow @harveyoberfeld.ca on “X” for FREE First Alerts of new blog topics.)
Sad news out of Vancouver about the tragedy involving another person with mental health issues who in the words of the good Vancouver Police Chief has had significant interactions with police. This time, probably the worst recorded mass killing by vehicle of 11 between 5 and 65 so far and driven by the the mentally sick person. Was he allowed to carry a license and iwnva vehicle. That’s going to be something if true. Didn’t hear MSM reporters asking that.
I watched the news in horror shock and anger as millions did across BC and Canada and news across the Globe. The police chief was very good and even going so far as to state the police are crime fighters and not mental health fighters and that it is the responsibilty of others to cover the back end out there and not the police. I ompletely concur. This tragedy was completely avoidable if the useless cowardly politicians and ministries responsible had been on top of this and long ago. I can see the spineless bums ducking and dodging the horrendous negligence they are responsible for. I will of course hold my more colorful words for those pathetic bums right up the ladder to Eby and other Ministry heads and even Federally who I can at least state without even batting an eye are responsible for this completely avoidable loss of innocent life. I dearly and truly have nothing but a angry and maybe even a hateful heart for the ones in governnent responsible for this. So Harvey your article here is so timely for these issues the general public are puting up with because our despicable cowards in leadership. My taxes going to such wastes of space is unconscionable. I hope people slam back at the bums so big that they may crawl back under the rocks they came from. Laybthem politically bare with shame. It must be a tough job for police and first responders to attend an awful horrific scene as this one that should never have been, if there were such a thing as a spine in the halls of government. The halls of shame is more appropriate.
So now I will close with my heartfelt condolences and tears for the wonderful families of their dear loved ones lost on this tragic day.
you mentioned not being safe in our own neighbourhoods and the hopeless justice for the criminal get out of jail farce …
https://globalnews.ca/news/11122211/parksville-home-invasion-suspect-bail/
There has been some small talk of bail reform etc. from the liberals but all very generic talking points so far. Put up a comprehensive platform of substance before the election, as a political vote getting exercise it’s an empty netter. And yes the debates would be a good place to announce something of substance that will be implemented if elected.
Then if they get elected, table the legislation and see if the conservatives vote against it. It’s a no brainer.
(Response: I firmly believe that if the Liberals get reelected, with most of the cabinet made up of the same people who have been there for years, and most of the bureaucrats will also be people who have been there for years, nothing will change when it comes to strengthening the laws on bail and sentencing. So we will have another four years of everyone complaining about not being safe in their neighborhoods, criminals, and crazies, running amuck, with no improvements. I am not an enthusiastic supporter of Poilievre or the Conservatives, but on this topic alone, I really believe change would be best! Ho)
The end run for criminals I the justice process is really the judges. For the most part I’m of the opinion most of them are useless wastes of space and tax dollars. Nice robes though. The qeustions and coverages by the news and press are really probably sufficient. And we the public know more than enough anyways about the crime situation. It’s pretty obvious anyhow about whats going on. Our politicians are liars on mostly everything when they are out campaigning and advertising anytime about crime, and the judges are spineless. So we’re screwed from both ends. Nice.
Maybe news people get fed up with it all to. But yes they still need to push on the qeustions. But I’m sure with much head shaking and thinking, Whats the use, thier going to lie to us or deflect from the qeustion anyways.
Polliviere’s big talk on crime is even now sounding like fluffy soft on crime talk. Carney is missing in action completely and to busy wasting our time telling us he’s going to have more affordable homes built like we never seen before or since the end of the Second World War. They all seem to use a close facsimile of Trumps famous lines. You’ll never see any thing like it. Carneys gone quiet on housing now. I don’t trust any of them anymore. I mean that literally. Negative and pessimistic yes, but our lying through the the teeth politicians, and oh yes, useless judges have been the cause of our discontent and dissalutionment.
Crime, an issue for most which seems to be swept under the rug by politicians of all offices, the judiciary & our subsidized media.
Gregor Robertson is welcomed by Carney, Butts & Telford, the former residents of downtown Vancouver (the smart ones which fled the open air drug & crime bazaar) would strongly dissent.
Curtis Sagmoen who terrorized the Shuswaps/Okanagan has died, the body found at his parents farm was also dead, had no seemingly endless second chances, and no “closure” as our justice system failed the Generaux family!
Soft on violent crime, DPA for SNC who bribed Libyan folks for contractual advantage, caused a Justice Minister to be tossed, mostly because a government employee pension fund had invested heavily in that corrupt corporate entity, things which make all rational folks nauseous! Not a single article or item to be found asking why the pension fund administrators chose to invest so heavily in SNC? Too much lying by omission and complete failure to assess risks and ethics before investing? A stunning round of bonus’s for that fund administrator eh?
A recent trip to the Fraser valley where I was raised shocked and dismayed me. Seemingly endless parades of drug addicted pushing shopping carts, encampments everywhere, retail merchants acting draconian in pursuit of protecting merchandise from serial kleptomaniacs and the overwhelming sense that one is no longer safe in many neighborhoods where one was able to be relaxed not so long ago!
White collar crime penalized with ? deterrents?
Drug crime penalized with ? deterrents?
Property crime penalized with ? deterrents?
Our once idyllic nation now rapidly spiraling into a safe haven for criminals of all stripes, a veritable criminal opportunity land of plenty with mostly no checks & balances. Welcome to a cesspool of mostly unabated criminal activity, today’s socialist experiments running amok in Canada!
(Response: of course, we need a lot more facilities to treat drug addicted, and the mentally ill… But that requires substantially more dedication by a federal government that wants to do so and also the funding to make it happen. And yes, some of it will require mandatory incarceration or treatment… And I don’t see the current Liberal government has been willing to do that. I think it is time for change! Ho)
Ok Harvey, I’m going to try to explain this a different way. I hope you are familiar with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Once we have our need of sovereignty and safety met, we will worry about taxes and crime. Poilievre is not meeting our base level of needs. Not much point in bringing up other problems when you welcome Trump.
(Response: You mention that “Poilievre is not meeting our base level of needs”. That makes sound like he’s in power! If Canada’s basic needs are not being met(I disagree),you should blame the government in power. I would also argue that a key to public safety control of crime… and there’s no doubt in my mind , in many Canada’s cities, public safety has declined substantially in recent years because the federal government has allowed (encouraged?) weak bail and sentencing and ceded too much power to liberal judges and courts. Ho)
Ho hum
Another day another racially divided court ruling.
Seems the “Gladue Precedent” ( 1st Nations woman stabbed her husband to death when she was drunk had her 2 year manslaughter sentence dropped to six months and parole because of her “colonialist upbringing.) gives “1st nations” violent offenders special status because of their “colonialist oppression”.
Yep.
In BC young 1st Nations defendant walked up to a man talking to his mother and unprovoked, punched the man in the forehead so hard he fractured his skull, put the injured man in a coma for 2 weeks, paralysed for 3 weeks and has life altering complications. Story was online CBC news feed.
The sentence of 2 years in jail was dropped for 6 months “house arrest”.
When is this reverse racism double standard going to be exposed for the blatant hypocrisy that it is…
Or do violent offenders get to fall back on the 1st nations heritage again and again and again?
Or is it justified as open season on “colonisers”?
Expect to hear more and more of this as more and more 1st nations realize they get a free pass to do what ever they want and blame it on colonialism.
God bless our blind, balanced, impartial “justice” system.
(Response: The activist radical left courts and judges, with the blessing of the Liberal federal government, probably think they are being kind and understanding in dealing with first nations, but really they are demeaning the value of First Nations victims’ lives! When someone is murdered, and the sentence is basically house arrest for a couple of months, the victim’s life is clearly regarded as meaningless by those inflicting that kind of sentence on society. Ho)
My God!
MY GOD!
Global 6pm News
“Police bust THREE sophisticated drug labs in the Lower mainland.
Over 5 million doses of fentanyl were seized.
The two suspects arrested were released on bail….”
RELEASED?
5 MILLION DOSES OF DEATH?
Is the entire system corrupt…. or worse ….so incompetent they can’t fathom how ridiculous the immediate release of drug producing death merchants looks to the average citizen?
WHY isnt this a HUGE political issue?
(Response: Sadly, this is now the norm in BC courts. And I believe the Liberals who set the laws that govern the judges’ actions must be held accountable. And yet apparently they are now leading in the polls… meaning we will be possibly seeing more of the same for another four years, or maybe even worse! Ho)
Most of the journalists press gallery and media wnt be putting those serious qeustions on crime to our politicians. Most of them cowardly bend to political correctness. It’s not fashionable or compassionate because the shop lifters druggies crazies, and muggers and other usual and threatening dangerous suspects must be shown compassion and understanding across the board for what they do. The game is has already been set to this new way. There was once a time when courage was the order of the day in political leaders, the Press and their Corporate media leaders. Judges for the most part seem to have succumbed to the craze.
(Response: there are still some pretty good print, journalists out there and even a few on TV… But less and less. The reason is too many of those reporting on TV are just there now because they want to be on TV… Very few our seasoned experienced journalists. I’ve been pointing that out for years and now viewers and voters are paying the price for this lapse in journalistic hiring. H.o)
To be serious, the problem with crime is that our local politcans, both civic and provincial, have ignored it and instead blamed the federal government.
Monies spent on politically prestigious projects generally comes from programs that deal with crime and a good example is the Millennium Line extension to Langley where it went from a $1.63 billion LRT project to a now $7 billion SkyTrain project, all to move fewer people than the current Broadway B-Line bus.
So, where did that extra $5.37 billion come from?
Schools, hospitals and crime prevention to name a few.
School Boards took police out of schools and the gangs and drug dealers took over!
The province does not fund school sports ( I know, as I managed a school sports team in 2013/15), with school opting to spend what little money they have for prestigious sports such as American football because of the lucrative scholarships available, especially at American colleges and universities.
The province is not dealing with drug addiction except pander to the addicts, much to the joy of the drug dealers making massive profits. I will not even go into the civic side of this as it would take more than a 10,000 word essay to do it justice.
Our municipal police forces are not equipped to effectively deal with international gangs, but with the RCMP, who can deal with international crime, are held in high odor by many and international crime flourishes.
Yes, the federal government needs to bring in harsher sentencing and bail conditions, but a lot of our problems are greatly exacerbated by civic and provincial politcans, who love to point fingers and play the blame game, yet continue to squander huge amounts tax monies on their pet reelection projects.
Crime is a very serious issue and should be given far more priority. There are far too many drug addicts, and many judges give very lenient sentences. The Liberals don’t seem willing to acknowledge a problem and appear to think that more of the same is the solution.
White-collar crime is also a problem. It’s very unfair to have a leader who wants to tax Canadians to death while he uses Bermuda to maximize his profits. It’s no wonder that most of the wealthiest Canadians support him. If he wants to continue as the Prime Minister of Canada, he should pay his fair share.
(Response: Every Canadian is entitled to use all legal tax breaks available to them when they are in private life. So I don’t begrudge Carney for doing that. However, when it comes to forming policy, that’s a different matter. I’m more worried about the Liberals’ recent history of squeezing the middle class until it really hurts… And then doing almost nothing to alleviate the pain. I wonder if Carney will just be Trudeau in a different suit. H.o)
I feel that a person who has lived outside Canada for much of his life, whose daughters studied abroad, work and live abroad, and who hasn’t helped Canada too much with his taxes is not my choice. He appears to want the prime ministership for personal reasons, so he is really not the best person for the job.
Carney has no plans to improve public safety, nor does he seem to be remotely interested in the issue. But he is great at lying and plagiarizing, isn’t he? And knowing nothing about anything but hey he can take on Trump or can he? He is coming across as even dumber than good old Justin and boy is that ever something!
If you want a prime minister who doesn’t pay Canadian taxes (answered vaguely when asked), doesn’t know anything about politics (said we had an embargo on Israel recently) and doesn’t know how to handle crime and can only plagiarize from the Conservative playbook without coming up with something original on his own then he’s all yours D.M. Johnston and EAF and all the liberal supporters here.
(Response: I noticed that Poilievre has now called for mandatory sentencing of recidivist criminals. (Must have read my blog!)I’m not sure that a 10 year mandatory minimum is the way to go, but at least the Conservatives are looking at doing something! H.o)
Carney only has his Trump propaganda to go on. Ask him a question on anything other than Trump and his mind goes blank. Chinese interference, hiding money overseas, he’s blank on all of it. Ask him about crime and how he’s going to handle it and more blank explanations.
In the two weeks of campaigning that we’ve seen since the election was called, Carney’s has only talked about crime a mere three times. His platform has the slogan “Combat organized crime,” with no details as to how that will be achieved.
As for Poilievre when he came up with solutions for crime, every major media had a “legal” expert who could find fault with his ideas. He has asked for stricter bail laws, and has many proposals for drug criminals. However, if the media pooh pooh his ideas, and never mention that Carney has done, what do we expect to happen?
You can’t win with the media we have in Canada. No questions about crime, drugs, urban decay, etc. They only care about getting Carney elected. We will pay a huge debt when this happens as nothing will change in Canada and the media will be part of the problem.
P.S. Can you do another column about immigration and health care and the deterioration of Canada as a result of poor infrastructure and what each party has to say about that issue or not say is more like it?
(Response: When you really think about it… crime and fear of just walking the streets or shopping (even during the day!) affects more urban Canadians’ health, safety, stress and quality of life daily than so many of the other topics preferred by the leaders/parties/media. It really should be right up there as a priority (along with the cost of living and the economy)! Maybe readers should call/write their newspapers/radio and TV outlets and ask why it is not getting more attention …and specific answers from the leaders/parties? H.o)
We have two other serious problems that go hand in hand with street crime – drug addiction and homelessness. You really can’t realistically fix one without the others, unless you lock everyone up who fits the above categories. There are not enough prisons in Canada to do that, and the cost would be overwhelming. And when released, most would go back to the homeless camps and resume their criminal lives to pay for their drugs. It’s a vicious circle, difficult to impossible to break out of, without help.
That money might be better spent on facilities in which to provide compulsory drug addiction treatment. Any drug addict caught committing a crime or living in a homeless camp, must go for a compulsory term of treatment. While there, they should also receive counselling on how to reenter society, once released from the treatment center.
Where we should ‘lower the boom’ federally is a war against drug traffickers – life sentences for anyone involved with importing or selling drugs. After all, it is largely the drugs that turn good people into criminals and drug addicts. And kill so many young people who have fallen into its clutches.
In your last post, I’m pretty clearly for Mark Carney to win the next election due to the financial chaos in the world. But Pierre Poilievre is on record advocating ‘compulsory drug addiction treatment’. I think something like this is the only solution to the self-perpetuating cycle of drug addiction, crime, and homelessness.
I can’t imagine any Liberal government ever undertaking such a project.
(Response: Healthcare is provincially run, but largely federally funded. However, even in the rare instance when there is enough funding or space available for treatment of those seriously mentally ill, federal laws, precedents and ridiculous short sentences, even for serious recidivists or violent criminals make it almost impossible to force anyone into treatment. And let’s keep it real: to expect someone who is drug infested or mentally ill to voluntarily agree to extended treatment in a facility where they cannot leave is a very difficult task. We need federal laws to change and also adequate funding to allow real treatment to take place. That’s why I believe this should be a issue in the federal election campaign that is brought up and discussed everywhere in the country and especially during the televised debates. H.o)
Don’t worry Harvey the city of Vancouver is having a committee checking out what the problems are and how they can be rectified as soon as possible. They are on the case.
My guess is they will do their best to cover up and take care of all the crime caused by druggies, thieves, thugs armed with knives and machetes, and shoplifters just in time for when Fifa hits town.
What’s that saying about putting lipstick on a pig….
Until then, walk downtown at your own peril. I wouldn’t count too much on the mayor however. He”ll be too busy trying to figure out how he’s going to get reelected since he now has those two new councillors to contend with.
(Response: Sad…but sounds pretty true. Imagine the world publicity if FIFA visitors, or worse, officials are mugged, stabbed …. and whoever is PM just says Tsk, Tsk, …we had no idea this was going on! And what if FIFA crowds tell TV teams from back home how they were accosted by druggies or crazies outside venues or their hotels! Bet there will be a big cleanup before they arrive … so why not now???? Surely a solution should be discussed during the election campaign! h.o)
Quote: “If the law supposes that,” said Mr. Bumble, squeezing his hat emphatically in both hands, “the law is a ass – a idiot”.
Charles Dickens – Oliver Twist
About says it all, the Canadian law and sentencing is an ass and should be an election issue, but because of a buffoon down south all eyes are on tariffs and the 51st state nonsense.
And the media? AWOL, as usual.
(Response: The problem is the media are letting the leaders/parties decide on the issue of the day … with announcements/press conferences etc. Of course, our lousy Courts and laws are not prime topics for most politicians … but all it takes is ONE intrepid reporter to go after Carney and Poilievre, demanding action and specifics … and the rest of the flock will follow along. H.o)
Sadly.
The media merely repeat the endless “Released on Bail” mantra that ends every newsworthy crime that makes the news.
Everyone is so used to hearing “Released on Bail’ no one cares anymore.
Crime and punishment?
A farce.
The criminal industrial complex wants the revolving door policies.
Appointed, not elected, judges follow the party line.
The Feds don’t want to pay for incarceration in either prison or long term mental health facilities.
How many more innocent men , women and children will be victims of “released on bail” violent REPEAT offenders.
If any federal politician would promise to make MANDATORY incarceration for violent REPEAT offenders….
They would win thousands of votes.
(Response: Crime and punishment (actually in far too many cases, little punishment) is an important urban issue right across the country. The media and the politicians really need to address it more! h.o)
A Vancouver Island family had their home invaded by a mentally disturbed individual.
The offender has a long history of mental issues.
He was arrested at a random family’s house after driving a car into their garage, entering the home and trying to strangle the male occupant with a chain.
He was arrested.
Less than 2 weeks later he was released on….$500.00 bail and “17 conditions”.
ANYONE with half a brain would keep this historically violent individual either in jail or in a mental institution until trial.
Not Canada!
The “Catch and release” program is alive and well.
As the “Judicial Industrial Complex” churns the rollover of criminals in and out of jail at an ever increasing rate.
Canadian Law is a farce
Trump has seized the topics for the election. Polieeve has mentioned some crime like life sentence for those selling drugs
The media will sit on their asses and not ask the questions. Sad sad media.
(Response: It’s a meaningful topic for many, many voters. Just take a look at the state of too many downtown areas or talk to businesses that now struggle to survive there. Maybe now that I’ve focussed in on it, the media will give it the attention it deserves. H.o)