While upholding public safety is something every law-abiding Albertan can support and encourage, whether the provincial government’s newly released plans for the Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Services will ensure that laudable goal remains an open question.
Rural and urban communities in this region continue to be the target of significant property crime, including break and enters, vehicle thefts and fraud. Naturally such crimes make residents feel anything but safe and sound.
In her new mandate letter to the department, Premier Danielle Smith says her government has a concrete and workable plan that will build a “strong foundation of stability” for the province.
“Violence and social order have become one of the gravest challenge governments across Canada are facing,” said Smith. “Fuelled by unprecedented mental health and addiction crisis and enabled by dysfunctional bail laws, a cheap supply of deadly hard drugs and far too many ‘defund the police’ policies, our streets increasingly resemble those of Vancouver, Portland and San Francisco.
“We cannot let this happen. Enough is enough. Our government has no higher priority than protecting Albertans and keeping our communities safe.”
For his part, minister Ellis said, “We cannot afford to be soft on crime, nor can we allow repeat offenders out on bail. Albertans have the right to feel safe, no matter where they live or work.”
With many, many challenges facing the province right now, including the affordability crisis, labour and housing shortages, and the wildfire emergency, the new provincial government certainly has its hands full these days.
Nevertheless, residents here will be watching closely in the coming days to see if the UCP government can deliver on its promise to make Alberta safer.
Premier Smith says her government wants to address the mental health dilemma and tackle the drug crisis, all the while seeking changes to the complex judicial release system.
It won’t be an easy task by any measure, but hopes are high that progress can be made.
Dan Singleton is an editor with the Albertan.
