Police officers in Alberta will have new tools to fight gang crime as a result of three new bills introduced Tuesday in the legislature.
If passed, the bills will offer additional protection to witnesses testifying in criminal trials, allow police to seize body armour from people who don’t require it for legitimate use and expand the groups that can receive money from seized property.
Justice Minister Alison Redford said the changes come in direct response to the needs of police on the street.
“None of these laws on its own is the ultimate solution,” Redford said. “But collectively we believe in the past two years, the web of legislation that we have introduced has made it more difficult for criminal organizations to take root in communities in Alberta.”
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Of the three bills, city police Insp. Greg Preston said officers will use Bill 11, the witness protection legislation, most often.
“If we had capacity we’d be using this act daily,” Preston said.
The legislation will provide short-term protection for witnesses prepared to testify in court, particularly in gang and homicide trials. Redford said it will compliment the federal witness protection program, which gives longer-term protection.
The new Bill 10 would make amendments to current legislation that compensates victims, as well as municipalities that incur costs from responding to such incidents as house fires from grow-ops.
Karl Wilberg, director of the province’s Civil Forfeiture Office, said his agency has 160 open files on seized property used in the commission of a crime, ranging in value from $5,000 to $500,000.
The proposed legislation essentially would act like “debt collection,” he said.
“It’s about cost recovery,” Wilberg added.
Last summer, the Supreme Court ruled that such forfeiture laws are constitutional, though Alberta’s amended act will allow people to seek damages from the Crown when property is given back to its owner.
Bill 12 will allow police to seize body armour. People with a legitimate need, such a security guards and ambulance attendants, will still be able to wear it. Police in Calgary say there have been a number of incidents where gang members have worn armour into public places such as restaurants and hockey games.
Liberal justice critic Kent Hehr said the government is moving in the right direction with the legislation. “They’re providing some good momentum on this front, Hehr said, adding that he particularly supports the witness protection legislation.
amclean@thejournal.canwest.com
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