Exactly.
Evidence of meeting #38 for Justice and Human Rights in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was children.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #38 for Justice and Human Rights in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was children.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:15 p.m.
Vice-President, Association of Families of Persons Assassinated or Disappeared
I know it is physically impossible to make a sexual predator who is out on parole meet with the authorities every three days. But a bracelet could tell us his whereabouts when a crime was being committed.
12:15 p.m.
NDP
Raymond Côté NDP Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Very good. Thank you.
Chief Freeman, a few years ago in Quebec City, a man kidnapped a young boy. He put the boy in the trunk of his car and then locked him up in an oil heating tank. Luckily, a citizen saw the incident happen, called the police and followed the kidnapper.
12:20 p.m.
Vice-President, Association of Families of Persons Assassinated or Disappeared
It was thanks to the AMBER alert.
Sorry for interrupting.
12:20 p.m.
NDP
Raymond Côté NDP Beauport—Limoilou, QC
No problem.
Chief Freeman, there are measures such as public vigilance, the AMBER alert system and awareness raising about the problem—to encourage people to be more watchful and to get involved sooner by calling the authorities. Do you think measures like these could have a real impact on preventing kidnappings, whether by sexual predators or others?
12:20 p.m.
Woodstock Police Service
Absolutely, yes. Community safety is a joint responsibility between all Canadian citizens and their local police services. If left alone to deal with crime and criminal quality-of-life issues, the police would be very unsuccessful dealing with community safety. We absolutely need the trust and support and safe participation of our citizens to keep our country safe.
Canada is a very safe country, because we already have those partnerships, right across the country, from east to west to north. There are AMBER alert programs. Community safety is going to come from a number of different directions, but the first one has to be trust and a working relationship between citizens and the police.
12:20 p.m.
Vice-President, Association of Families of Persons Assassinated or Disappeared
I have something to add to that.
As you may know, the Sûreté du Québec police force has adopted a safety code for kidnapping cases. They start out following code 1, in other words, they deploy all resources. Then, depending on the severity of ensuing events, they move to levels 3, 4 or 5. The deployment level remains at the highest point until the severity of the situation is known.
12:20 p.m.
NDP
Raymond Côté NDP Beauport—Limoilou, QC
So as soon as it is reported.
Thank you very much, Mr. Surprenant.
12:20 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dave MacKenzie
The chair would just offer, though, that there are literally hundreds of missing children reports daily. They don't all automatically trigger. For most children who are missing, the vast majority are simply missing, so some of these things do not automatically trigger immediately. They may be at a friend's house and didn't tell Mum and Dad where they were going.
It puts a lot of responsibility on the police after the fact.
12:20 p.m.
Woodstock Police Service
In Woodstock alone, in our small community of 40,000 people, we investigate probably 250 reports of missing children every year, and 99.99% of the time, it's for an innocent reason. The child just hasn't come home and has gone to a buddy's house, or whatever. Those are the ones we like to see. The one time, unfortunately, was Victoria's absence, which triggered probably the biggest criminal investigation and the biggest ground search in the history of the province of Ontario, and absolutely in the city of Woodstock.
12:20 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dave MacKenzie
Thank you.
We did have scheduled committee business, but given the circumstances, we'll put that off until the next meeting. We don't have a lot of other things.
I'd very much like to thank the witnesses. I know that it is extremely difficult, Ms. Dunahee, for you to be here with us today. It meant a great deal to this committee. You've added a tremendous amount, and we appreciate it.
Mr. Surprenant, the same goes for you. I know that the circumstances make it very difficult.
Chief Freeman, it's always good to see you in Ottawa or at home.
Thank you very much.
The meeting is adjourned.