Introduction

Merci beaucoup et bienvenue à Edmonton.

Thank you, and welcome to Edmonton. Our city is delighted to host the annual meeting of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. It is a pleasure for me to welcome you to my home city and I hope that all of you will have a great time while you are here. Like all Canadians, we appreciate the courage of those whose job it is to uphold the law.

As Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, I value my opportunities to meet with "the Chiefs." Your support, guidance and advice are invaluable, not only to me but to the entire federal government, as we wrestle with the difficult issues inherent in building and maintaining a justice system in which all Canadians can have confidence.

Before I go further, I would like, to express my condolences on behalf of the Government of Canada, to the family and friends of Detective-Constable William Hancox, and to the Metropolitan Toronto Police. It is a tragedy when a life is taken in the service of others.

One week after this tragedy, two other on-duty officers, Corporal Graeme Cumming of the Raymond/Magrath RCMP detachment in Raymond/Magrath RCMP detachment near Lethbridge, and Constable Dave Nicholson of Waterloo Regional Police Force. Constable Dave Nicholson of the Waterloo Regional Police Force lost their lives.

To their families, friends and colleagues, to the RCMP and Waterloo Regional Police Force, I also extend my condolences.

The loss of any police officer on duty is a loss not just to those around him or her – it is a loss to our country and to our collective efforts to preserve the peace and security that are our nation’s hallmark.

The Government of Canada is committed to safe homes and safe streets. Without police services across Canada, our efforts would be in vain. You are the people on the line. You are the first to see many of society’s problems and try to deal with them.

This evening I want to briefly touch upon three of my priorities as Justice Minister; priorities in which the Chiefs of Police have helped me develop my thinking and that of my department. They are: crime prevention, youth justice renewal and victims of crime.

But first, let me express again words of gratitude to both your organization for its support over the years and to your outgoing President, John Moodie.

During the past year, I’ve enjoyed the opportunity of working with John, who exemplifies the best characteristics of the RCMP in this, its 125th anniversary year. Congradulations on a fine term as President, John.

For years, For years, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police has been an on going important source of advice, both in helping to develop and shape policies, as well as in implementing them. Your comments have always been constructive and appreciated.

Again, this year, I look forward to receiving your resolutions on issues of concern to all Canadians who care about safety in their homes and in their communities.

Measures we have taken to enhance the safety surrounding the use of firearms is one recent example of the CACP’s contribution to government policy I want to publicly thank the CACP for its strong support of our initiatives to ensure greater firearms safety and responsibility. Your views reflect those of the overwhelming majority of Canadians, who want to live in a country where firearms are possessed and used for legitimate purposes in a safe and secure environment.

Responding to people’s concerns about public safety is crucial to increasing their confidence in the justice system. To achieve this, partners must work together and we must engage the public. As the CACP statement of beliefs points out, "the public has the right and responsibility to participate in policing." The same is true for the justice system as a whole.

In other words, community safety must be based on community partnership. I want to briefly describe to you the steps we are taking to build partnerships in the three areas I mentioned earlier, crime prevention, youth justice and victims of crime.

Crime Prevention

One of the most important principles both police and governments across Canada are pursuing is that crime is not only something to be investigated, it is also something to be prevented.

Two months ago, the Government of Canada launched the National Strategy on Community Safety and Crime Prevention, a new direction in public safety and a new opportunity to draw upon the commitment, ideas and expertise of people who care about their communities.

A healthy and vibrant community is made up of people who feel secure enough to take part in it. Helping people feel safe in their community is something that must be done one community at a time, one family at a time, one child at a time.

I am delighted with your commitment to crime prevention efforts, and to working with the community.

In this regard, I am delighted that Chief Christine Silverberg of Calgary has agreed to serve on the National Steering Committee which provides advice to the Government on our crime prevention strategy.

Youth Crime

Preventing crime means preventing young people from becoming criminals. We achieve this by investing in front end interventions to prevent youth at risk from pursuing a life of crime.

We also do this by having a youth justice system that fosters values such as respect for others and their property. It is a system that insists on accountability and that provides both violent and non-violent young offenders with meaningful consequences for their actions. And it is a youth justice system that responds to the needs of victims and communities.

Three months ago, I made it clear that the Government of Canada is committed to improving our youth justice system in three critical ways:

• it has to do more to prevent youth crime in the first place;

• it must respond firmly and more efectively to the most serious, violent young offenders;

• and we must do a better job of reforming and rehabilitating young offenders, to decrease the chances that they will reoffend.

I appreciate the advice your association has provided in shpaing this approach, and the support you have provided since we announced it.

This fall, as you know, I will replace the Young Offenders Act with a new youth criminal justice act that will put public protection first, foster values such as accountability and responsibility and make it clear that criminal behaviour will lead to meaningful consequences.

We will send a clear signal to Canadians of all ages that a new youth justice regime is in place.

The police community knows better than most that the YOA was a lightening rod for public dissatisfaction with the criminal justice system. Developing new directions for youth justice has been both an important opportunity and a significant challenge Ä one that in my view we could not have addressed successfully without your ongoing, advice and support. I look forward to continuing to work with you as these proposals for reform become law.

Victims’ Rights

One of the most important things we must do to restore public confidence in our justice system is respond to the concerns of victims of crime. No one knows this better than the police. You are usually the first to deal with victims or their families.

Both the federal and provincial governments have taken some initiatives to benefit victims of crime, including Criminal Code provisions providing for victim impact statements, prompt return of victims’ property, and publication bans in certain offences.

I intend to build on these steps. It is clear there are a number of things that victims deserve:

Victims deserve services and programs to help them deal with the effects of crime – emotional as well as physical.

Victims deserve to know that the impact that a crime has had on them will be taken into account.

They deserve to be informed about their role in the criminal justice system and the ongoing status of the case in which they are involved.

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights conducted hearings and held a national forum in June to explore ways to improve the status of victims in the justice system.

I look forward to their report in September, which will form the basis of a victims’ package that I will be tabling in Parliament this fall.

I also look forward to receiving the views of you, the Chiefs, and those of all Canadians on the ways we can ensure that victims receive the respect and consideration they deserve.

Conclusion

In all of these areas – victims of crime, youth justice and crime prevention – we are emphasizing and reinforcing basic fundamental Canadian values, such as respect for others, their property and their community.

These are values that are fundamental to your work.

These are the values that Canadians want their justice system to reflect. Working in partnership with the CACP and others, we can ensure that Canadians continue to enjoy one of the safest and most just societies in the world.

I wish you a successful meeting and look forward to working with the CACP and its members throughout the coming year.

Thank you. Merci Beaucoup