City requesting signatures in order to send public safety petition to federal officials

The City of Prince George is looking to get the federal government’s attention.

Civic officials are looking to submit a petition to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, advocating for solutions to public safety issues municipalities across the country are facing.

It was published today (Tuesday) and is accepting signatures for the next 60 days.

A minimum of 500 signatures is needed before it may be presented by a Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons.

The petition calls upon Ottawa to:

• Amend the Criminal Code of Canada to strengthen bail requirements for prolific and non-violent offenders to include provisions for repeat offences to lead to:
• automatic detention,
• release to be dependent on reverse onus, and/or
• demonstration of the Principle of Respect for the Law
• Appoint more judges and prosecutors to end court backlogs
• Provide funding and resources for Crown Counsel to increase capacity and decrease delays in preparing and bringing cases to court in a timely manner
• Provide funding and resources to provincial correctional centres and support services to increase capacity for detention of individuals, as well as providing rehabilitation and release planning services

“We are calling on all residents and business owners in Prince George to take five minutes to sign the petition. The City is committed to continuing our advocacy for improved public safety and this petition is an excellent way for residents to get involved and show the federal government that we must collaborate on solutions,” said Mayor Simon Yu.

“Thank you to MP Todd Doherty for authorizing the petition and allowing the City to gather signatures. We are grateful for our ongoing relationships with our federal and provincial counterparts, and the support we have received to improve public safety in our community.”

The petition is available now on the House of Commons website until March 27th at 12:25 p.m. PST.