Greg Dionne speaking at Chamber luncheon. (Jaryn Vecchio/paNOW Staff)

By Jaryn Vecchio

P.A. mayor believes bail reform desperately needed

Apr 12, 2023 | 4:00 PM

The mayor of Prince Albert is the latest person to call for changes in the country’s bail system.

Greg Dionne took time at the P.A. & District Chamber Of Commerce luncheon, which had Premier Scott Moe and provincial finance minister Donna Harpauer in attendance, to share his frustration with the number of people being let out of custody only to be arrested once again.

“The last two or three incidents where we had to call SWAT, they were all dangerous offenders that were out (on bail),” he said. “My biggest fear is the danger we’re putting the men and women in our police force in when they’re going out to deal with these kinds of people.”

While Dionne explained this isn’t just a Prince Albert issue, he does believe the city is seeing a high volume of preventable crime. What’s really frustrating for him is the number of people being arrested in the community who aren’t from here.

“If you look at the big cocaine bust (police) just did, the people were out of North Battleford and Saskatoon. Out of the five, I think there was only one P.A. (resident) arrested.”

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Dionne also believes there needs to be harder release conditions for those who commit a break-and-enter. He said he’s tired of seeing people get bail for this because no one was hurt during the incident. While no one was physically hurt, there’s a good chance the victim was impacted mentally.

“Our home is our castle,” Dionne added. “(Afterward) you feel uncomfortable in your house.”

He plans on addressing these concerns at Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association’s (SUMA) 2023 convention happening next week in Saskatoon. Municipal leaders will get a chance to share concerns directly with provincial ministers at the event.

Meanwhile, David Lametti, the federal justice minister, has said he’s open to making changes.

Last month, he mentioned he had plans to speak with his provincial and territorial counterparts about what could be done to address the issue but also ensure that bail continues to be a fundamental right.

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Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow