CRIME
While violent crime rates in Canada are unchanged or dropping, sensational media
coverage of high profile cases has caused politicians to climb on an anti-crime
bandwagon. Many of the changes suggested are outside Ontario's jurisdiction so talk is
as far as their suggestions will go.
Libertarians believe that criminals have to take personal responsibility for their
actions. Blaming "society", lack of jobs or poverty are convenient excuses
that enable the guilty to escape accountability.
Based on today's welfare rolls, if poverty was the cause of crime, ten percent of
Ontario's population would be criminals! We don't need more laws, we need enforcement
of what we have! Changes Libertarians would make include:
- Promote private arbitration between criminal and victim
for property crimes. Restitution would have to be paid to
the victim by the criminal who would also pay for the
process. This would free our courts for more serious
cases.
- Elimination of "victimless" crimes such as seat
belt laws where no one is hurt nor property lost or
damaged. Free our police officers to fight violent crime.
- Have juries set sentences within the limits prescribed in
law. This will ensure the guilty take responsibility for
their actions.
- Remove government-backed legal aid programmes which
encourage criminals to use the system to the limit on the
off-chance they will go free. Criminals should pay for
their defence, not the taxpayers.
- Free the police from the multitude of politically-correct
commissions looking over their shoulder. Police should be
controlled by their local municipal councils who pay the
bills, not political appointees of the provincial government.
- Enforce existing laws that deal with violent crime rather
than adding more "designer legislation" based
on victim gender or race.
- Make government and it's employees subject to the same
laws as everyone else without exception.