Police associations want bail reform after five officers killed in line of duty in 4 months
After the killing of five police officers in the past four months, some of the largest police associations in the country are calling for a change in the criminal justice system.
In a joint statement, the associations and police chiefs called for bail reform and support for frontline officers.
In an interview with CTV News on Friday, OPPA President John Cerasuolo said, "enough is enough."
"We just can't continue doing this," he added, noting a discussion needed to be had with government officials at both the provincial and federal level, as well as with the chiefs of police and police associations, to address this issue.
"One of the biggest complaints that we're getting right now is that they're arresting people in the morning, and later that afternoon or night, they're dealing with the same person again and again. Something needs to be done," the OPPA president said. "We need to start looking at bail violations. We need to analyze them. We need to have the discussions on what we can do better."
OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique echoed those sentiments, stating, "The murder of constable Greg was preventable. This should've never happened."
On Wednesday, thousands gathered at the Sadlon Arena in Barrie, Ont., for the funeral of OPP Const. Greg Pierzchala, who was gunned down while responding to a call about a vehicle in a ditch west of Hagersville, Ont., on Dec. 27.
Months earlier, in October, two South Simcoe police officers, Devon Northrup and Morgan Russell, were fatally shot while responding to a distress call at an Innisfil, Ont., home.
Two other police officers also died in 2022 in the line of duty - an RCMP constable was stabbed, and a Toronto constable was shot.
Five police officers have been killed in the line of duty in Canada between September to December 2022.
"The scale has tipped so far towards the right of the accused that the right of the public to be safe is almost a secondary issue, and that needs to tip back the other way," said CTV's public safety analyst and former OPP commissioner Chris Lewis.
"It's obvious that something is not working with this catch and release system whereby people are out on bail for violent crimes and cases where the police officers haven't even finished typing the report on it yet - and in some cases paroled and notations made in the file that they're highly likely to re-offend.
I mean, what is wrong with that picture? It's not good for public safety, and it's certainly not good for officer safety," Lewis concluded.
With files from CTV's Kim Phillips
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.