Good afternoon. Thank you for inviting me to appear today.
I'm Brian Sauvé. I'm a sergeant in the RCMP and president of the National Police Federation. We are the sole certified bargaining agent representing nearly 20,000 members of the RCMP, serving communities across Canada and internationally. Our members have varying mandates, including federal enforcement and national security. As well, in many municipalities and provinces, they are the police of jurisdiction. They experience first-hand both the successes and the shortcomings of the criminal justice system every day.
Tragically, Canadians have seen far too many cases in which individuals released on bail have reoffended, sometimes with devastating consequences. These incidents leave deep scars on families, communities and police officers. They have also shaken the public's confidence in a system that must balance fairness with safety.
I want to be clear: Our members believe strongly in the principles of justice, restraint and fairness that underpin our Criminal Code and our charter, but they also see the human toll of a system that often functions like a revolving door. Our members are repeatedly arresting the same individuals, often for crimes committed while already on judicial interim release. This is dangerous and demoralizing. It also drains police resources that could be better spent preventing crime.
In 2019, Bill C-75 introduced some reforms, codifying principles of restraint and requiring consideration of indigenous and other vulnerable populations who are disproportionately represented in our justice system. However, four years later, municipalities, provinces and police report that these changes have had little measurable impact on violent repeat offenders or public safety.
In 2023, Bill C-48 created new reverse-onus provisions for certain violent and firearm-related offences. These steps respond to some concerns, but they have not addressed deeper systemic issues, such as weak monitoring, inconsistent enforcement and poor data collection.
Canada's criminal justice system also continues to be underfunded, leaving resource gaps that criminals exploit. A disturbing trend that our members see is organized criminals recruiting youth to commit serious crimes, knowing that sentencing under the YCJA is far less severe. This places vulnerable young people on a dangerous path and further erodes public confidence.
In 2023, the National Police Federation released a report on bail reform. While much of that work focused on what provinces could do to improve monitoring, enforcement, and bail hearing standards, many of those recommendations are relevant to your study today. I'd like to highlight four areas where we believe urgent action is needed.
The first area is better data and information sharing. The courts often make bail decisions with incomplete information. National police records are often missing offences that exist only in local or provincial databases. Judges and prosecutors may not see the full picture of an accused's history. We need standardized, reliable justice system data across all jurisdictions. Without it, risk assessments remain inadequate.
The second is improving bail hearing resources and standards. Too often, bail hearings are rushed and presided over by officials without the proper training. We need experienced prosecutors and qualified judicial justices of the peace conducting these hearings, with adequate preparation time. Bail decisions are among the most consequential in the justice system. They must be made with full information and proper expertise.
The third is strengthening monitoring and enforcement. Once an individual is released on bail, monitoring varies widely across Canada. Some jurisdictions use electronic monitoring. Others have minimal or no supervision. Our members often arrest people who have been released only hours or days earlier and have openly ignored their court-imposed conditions. Dedicated bail enforcement resources, including modern technologies and the use of special constables, would relieve pressure on frontline police and provide some accountability.
The fourth is addressing youth exploitation. Criminal networks are increasingly recruiting young people to commit violent offences, knowing the consequences are lighter. Federal and provincial governments must close this gap through targeted prevention, stronger deterrence and better support for at-risk youth. This is not only about penalties but also about stopping criminal groups from exploiting your people and protecting communities from harm.
All of this points to one larger truth: Fixing Canada's justice system cannot be accomplished by Ottawa alone. The federal government writes the Criminal Code, the provinces administer the courts and municipalities feel the greatest impact of repeat offenders cycling through the system. Too often, each level of government waits for the other to act, and progress stalls. The path forward requires smart, targeted initiatives developed and implemented collaboratively across jurisdictions. Federal, provincial, territorial and municipal leaders must work together alongside the police, victims advocates and communities.
Our members are committed to serving Canadians with professionalism and compassion, but they need a justice system that supports their work rather than undermining it. The National Police Federation stands ready to work with all levels of government to build a bail and sentencing system that truly prioritizes both fairness and community safety.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I welcome questions.