Community Safety - Election 2024

Providing a safe community in which to live, work, and play is central to any municipality’s mission. For decades, Moncton has offered that. But with rapid population growth and an alarming increase in homelessness and poverty, the city is struggling to maintain that image.

According to Statistics Canada data, Moncton had the third highest police-reported crime rate in Canada in 2021 – trailing only Kelowna, BC and Lethbridge, AB. We also finished fourth in the crime severity index. Codiac RCMP will confirm they are battling historic high incidence of street drugs.

The City has received a sharp increase in the number of calls from concerned citizens and business owners over the level of crime in Moncton. They are equally besieged by complaints about the actions of some homeless individuals and the image this is giving our city.

This amount of municipal money spent on community safety has skyrocketed in the past three years:

  • Moncton’s share of Codiac RCMP funding: increased 40 per cent 
  • amount spent on community officers: increased 230 per cent 

What Moncton needs

1 - Changes to the Police Act to empower community safety officers to carry out high priority, low-risk enforcement of by-laws and select provincial statutes.

2 – Change needed to the judicial system to more adequately respond to chronic reoffenders who suffer from mental health and addiction issues (i.e. establishment of a Mental Health Court in Moncton with the requisite referral services to divert repeat mental health and addiction offenders.)

3 - Better rehabilitation and exit strategies from provincial correctional facilities. Inmates sentenced to federal penitentiaries have access to job skilling, GED programs, and transition support once they end their terms. There are little to no programs available for those individuals sentenced to two years less a day to provincial facilities. These individuals are simply released onto our streets and are much more likely to reoffend.

What party leaders say

Party leaders and local candidates were invited to a Special Council Meeting on Sept. 11, 2024. Each party leader was invited to address Council and to answer questions related to the City’s four election priorities.

Below are the questions and responses for each party related to community safety.

Highlights of their review of Moncton Matters document

Green Party 

Represented by party leader David Coon, MLA for Fredericton South

  • We are focusing on collaboration and rebuilding trust between the government and people.

Liberal Party 

Represented by party leader Susan Holt, MLA for Bathurst-East-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore

  • Changes to Policing Act are required.
  • No more one-size-fits-all approaches to dealing with social issues.  

Progressive Conservative Party

Represented by party leader Blaine Higgs, Premier of NB and MLA for Quispamsis

  • No mention in initial remarks.  

Responses to questions

1. Will you agree to a wholesale provincial policing review?  

Green: Unclear. 

Liberal: Yes, a comprehensive review of policing is required. 

Conservative: Yes.
 

2. Will you commit to changing the Police Act and other statutes to allow community officers more authority to keep our community safe?

Green: Yes, if the training they receive is adequate and appropriate. 

Liberal: Yes.

Conservative: Yes, and other areas of enforcement could benefit from this as well such as sheriffs.  

 

3. Will you make the necessary changes to our judicial system to effectively deal with chronic reoffenders who suffer from mental health and addiction issues (i.e. establish a mental health court in Moncton to divert chronic offenders into rehab?)

Green: Open to the idea. We do plan on increasing funding to provide 24/7 mental health response teams to help with police.  

Liberal: The mental health court is working in Saint John. Yes, we should have one in Moncton. Access to trained staff is an issue though.  

Conservative: Open to the idea. Treatment facilities and housing post-court are an issue, but it can work.

 

4. Will you give our provincial correctional system the tools to help offenders with rehab, skill training, and other programs so they have a true exit plan back into society? 

Green: No commitment, however; we believe the pathway needs to be created and staff capacity needs to be increased in the penal system to ensure proper exit strategies.  

Liberal: Agreed with the concept but offered no commitment.    

Conservative: Agree there is a need to reform the bail system.