TORY WILL HIRE MORE POLICE AND KEEP
CRIMINALS THEY ARREST IN JAIL
PC leader says McGuinty
puts electioneering before community safety
(Richmond
Hill, ON) – Progressive Conservative Party Leader John Tory today
announced he will put more police on the streets to make Ontario
neighbourhoods safer and fix the justice system to keep criminals they
arrest in jail.
“It has
been a long time since the OPP has seen a significant increase to their
uniform strength,” said Tory. “Dalton McGuinty ignored the 2005
Auditor General's Report that stated that most OPP detachments are
understaffed for their responsibilities.”
In a speech
to over 200 delegates at a meeting of the Police Association of Ontario,
Tory announced a PC government will invest in putting another 200 OPP
officers on the streets as a starting point. Tory also pledged to work
co-operatively with the federal government to ensure Ontario gets its fair
share of officers from committed funding.
“Dalton
McGuinty has slowed the flow of federal funds by refusing to work with the
Government of Canada, instead preferring to kick start new arguments with
them. His silence has been deafening on Liberal stonewalling on federal
legislation to get tougher on guns – legislation he claims to
support,” said Tory.
“The problem with Dalton McGuinty’s justice policies is that they are focused on election timing and public relations rather than on the real needs,” said Tory. “We must not forget that while he dragged his feet for years when it came to funding for police, Dalton McGuinty was all too ready to push millions out the door in rushed year-end slush fund grants that were condemned by the Auditor General himself for being neither ‘open, transparent or accountable’.”
During his speech, Tory said a PC government will also focus on doing more to support kids and families in at-risk neighbourhoods as well as taking steps to fix the justice system. “We cannot guarantee safer streets as long as our justice system releases those charged with dangerous offences back onto our streets within hours or days.”
Tory added: “‘Catch and Release’ works in fishing – it doesn’t work with gun crime. It is disrespectful to police, disrespectful to victims, disrespectful to at-risk communities, and under a John Tory PC Government we will make it a thing of the past. Now more than ever we need this kind of new leadership.”
