Thank you.
As mentioned, my name is Dale Weidman. I'm a superintendent with the Vancouver Police Department. With me is Simon Authier. He's the legal counsel for our department. We're appearing on behalf the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police.
Distinguished members of this committee, thanks, first and foremost, for the opportunity to address you today on Bill C-235, the respecting families of murdered and brutalized persons act. It's a really important bill.
The police's perspective and the police community's interests and efforts will always be directed towards preventing public harm, but if harm should occur, we are committed to doing everything we can to ensure that justice is served and to support victims and their families. The CACP believes in the importance of always being victim-centred and trauma-informed. Consequently, we support efforts to reduce the impact that multiple Parole Board hearings have on families—this was mentioned by the previous two witnesses very eloquently—when loved ones have to speak about these heinous homicides.
The CACP supports Bill C-235 and the proposed amendment to the Criminal Code to provide judges with the discretion to impose a period of parole ineligibility of between 25 and 40 years for offenders convicted of abducting, sexually assaulting and murdering someone in a single incident.
Thankfully, while these incidents are relatively rare, those crimes are particularly heinous, and they have a serious impact, not only on the victim's family but on the whole community. This was highlighted very well by Kimberly Proctor’s aunt, who talked about the impact it had on Langford. Denunciation and deterrence should be a primary consideration when addressing these crimes.
The CACP supports the intent of Bill C-235 to ease some of the trauma the families of the victims face during Parole Board hearings. At each Parole Board hearing families attend, they are revictimized by having to relive the brutal details of how their loved ones were killed. While the law does not require the families of victims to attend a Parole Board hearing, it is easy to understand why they feel compelled to attend. Allowing judges to impose up to 40 years without parole eligibility would reduce the number of parole hearings a family might feel compelled to attend to make a victim impact statement.
However, the CACP is conscious of the fact that this bill must strike a balance between the rights of the victims' families and the rights of the offenders. Therefore, the CACP is offering some proposed amendments, which Simon will speak to.