What Can Be Done About Increasing Crime in Brampton?
Published November 25, 2018 at 8:24 pm
As we look back at another year passing by in Brampton, the city will have to deal with very important issues as we embark on a new year. One of those issues for this city is crime.
As we look back at another year passing by in Brampton, the city will have to deal with very important issues as we embark on a new year. One of those issues for this city is crime.
Readers of inbrampton.com should be all too familiar with crime in this city. Statistics over the decades have shown overall crime going down in Canada and the United States, yet the lived experience of everyday people shows that criminal activity occurs quite regularly in Brampton.
A Peel Regional Police report from 2017 revealed a number of interesting statistics, such as the police had seized over 400 firearms and received over 5,800 requests for mental health assistance.
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These are interesting numbers, considering that the City of Brampton shows a lower number of Criminal Code Violations than the entire province or Canada as of 2017 (data via Brampton GeoHub)
With this perception that crime is an increasing concern in Brampton, community leaders and elected officials are somewhat at a loss on figuring out solutions.
Newly elected councillor Charmaine Williams has suggested Brampton adopt a ‘gun buyback program,’ while there is a debate over whether to ban guns outright or go back to ‘cracking down’ on criminals from the federal government and the Conservatives as they gear up for a federal election next year.
Brampton Councillor Gurpreet Dhillon held a town hall meeting over the summer discussing with residents, police and neighbourhood watch whether residents can do more in helping to deter crime in the community. Could a stronger network of Neighbourhood Watch groups be one remedy to deter crime?
On top of that, Peel Region has to select a new police chief to replace Jennifer Evans, as well as changes on the Peel Police Services Board. Whoever is guiding the second largest police force in Canada will have to put their stamp on how they deal with growing crimes in Brampton.
Mayor-elect Patrick Brown made lowering crime rates one of the key issues in his mayoral campaign during the municipal election, saying he was going to put in more resources for mental health for the police and community recreation to give youth more positive preoccupations.
So as we get ready to swear in a new council and find a head for Peel Regional Police, the issue of crime is still going to be there no matter who is in charge, and they along with the community will need to deal with it.
What do you think can deter increasing crime in Brampton?
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