Brian Mason and Alberta's NDP want more effective policing and greater emphasis on community policing and crime prevention.
Liberals and Conservatives have said nothing about Alberta's high crime rate, and the fact Alberta has fewer police officers per capita than most other provinces.
Community policing works. It is about building relationships, preventing crime, and making connections with youth and others at risk. It's a proven model for reducing crime. - Brian Mason
Liberals and Conservatives are ignoring the problem
While Liberals and Conservatives voted to give tax cuts to large corporations, Alberta's municipalities are struggling for money to hire more police officers.
- Alberta is falling farther and farther behind the national average of officers per capita, and is now the third lowest among all provinces. The influx of new people coming to Alberta is straining police budgets, which are not keeping up.
- In 2006, Alberta's property crime rate (including breaking and entering, motor vehicle theft, theft, possession of stolen goods, and fraud) was 25 per cent higher than the national average. The rate of violent crime was 16 per cent higher.
Brian Mason and Alberta's NDP are on the side of effective crime prevention
Brian Mason and Alberta's NDP want to make sure more police are on the beat, preventing crime before it happens by building a bond with local residents and keeping a watchful eye on our communities. The NDP has a plan for better community policing:
- Targeted funding for municipalities for community policing, with the money tied to hiring neighborhood officers - 800 new officers over the next five years to bring Alberta up to the national average for officers per capita.
- Establish response time targets when calls are made to report crimes.
- Establish a provincial body to investigate allegations of criminal wrongdoing by police. Police should not investigate themselves when allegations or complaints involving criminal misconduct are made.
- Effectively address the roots of crime through measures to reduce poverty - affordable housing, Headstart programs, a higher minimum wage, and learning and recreational opportunities for kids at risk.
