Wednesday, September 28, 2011
This is simply and utterly sad...
FIFTEEN days after a 15 year old boy was murdered by a 14 year old and an 18 year old, a 14 year old murders a 20 year old. Just read that sentence over again... FIFTEEN days after a 15 year old boy was murdered by a 14 year old and an 18 year old, a 14 year old murders a 20 year old.
Does it even make any sense? Not to me... It's just so sad...
We truly need to get down to the root causes here folks. The 2 - 14 year olds will now be in jail... Guess what? You actually think that they will suffer in there? Not a chance. They will actually command "respect" in the system, the tops of the ranks. SAD
Today's Free Press:
WINNIPEG - A 14-year-old boy is facing charges of first-degree murder in connection with the death of 20-year-old David Michael Vincett, whose body was found in front of a home on Boyd Street early Sunday morning. The death was related to tensions between rival street gangs, police said Wednesday. Vincett was walking on Boyd Avenue near McGregor Street around 3 a.m. Sunday when he met the suspect and they exchanged words. The suspect then pulled out a gun and shot Vincett before fleeing the area, police said. Police arrested the 14-year-old suspect around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. He has been charged with first-degree murder and detained at the Manitoba Youth Centre. He cannot be named under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. "It does appear that they had acknowledged to one another having associations of sorts to gangs in that community, and it does appear that those were opposing gangs in that community, " said Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen. The two didn’t know each other before the shooting happened, but police said the incident was allegedly linked to ongoing tensions between rival street gangs. The shooting followed on the heels of the stabbing death of 15-year-old Clarky Stevenson near College Avenue and Aikins Street earlier this month, which intensified the rivalry. "We have some information that would support that this incident has a tie to that particular incident," said Michalyshen, who didn’t give further details. Vincett had told others he was affiliated with street gangs before the night he was shot, said sources. Police said the young man who is now charged with murder also allegedly has gang affiliations. Michalyshen said police have recovered a gun in connection with the shooting, but didn’t say where it was located. Jennifer Kraynyk, the mother of Vincett's 10-month-old daughter, said even though the couple had split up, he visited the baby regularly. She said she took her daughter outside the city to raise her, but remained on good terms with Vincett. "She's got his eyes, his smile, his face, pretty much everything," Kraynyk said. "Every time I look at her, I see him." Vincett's mother also posted a message online, saying she was "always (led) to believe that David was NOT gang material," and that "he always dressed to fit in with (whatever) group he ran with." She declined further comment on Tuesday. "He was a good kid with a big heart that just wanted to belong someplace," she said in the message. "I miss him, he was my baby." Earlier this year, Vincett was convicted of a theft under $5,000 and two court breaches. At a July sentencing, court heard he had severe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). His lawyer, Bonnie Gembey, told the court Vincett had "some difficulty with impulse control and good decision-making." "He's considering the possibility of moving to Gimli to live with his grandparents," Gembey said. "He's hopeful if he removes himself from certain acquaintances and influences in Winnipeg, he may have a greater time staying out of trouble." Judge Marva Smith agreed. Vincett's death is Winnipeg's 32nd homicide of 2011. gabrielle.giroday@freepress.mb.ca mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.caVictim planned to leave city: family
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Attention Saggers. $25.00 fine for wearing baggy pants!
ALBANY - Officials in Georgia say a city's ban on saggy pants has generated nearly $4,000 in fines in less than a year. City Attorney Nathan Davis says 187 citations have been issued and $3,916 in fines collected since the ordinance went into effect Nov. 23, according to the Albany Herald. Officials say the ordinance bans anyone from wearing pants or skirts more than 3 inches (7.6 centimetres) below the top of the hips, exposing the skin or undergarments. First-time offenders face a $25 fine. On further offences, the fine can rise to $200. The ordinance also allows 40 hours of community service to be completed in lieu of fines.
Monday, September 26, 2011
To ALL the Parents out there!
To ALL the Parents out there!...... A mother passing by her daughter's bedroom was astonished to see the bed was nicely made and everything was picked up. Then she saw an envelope propped up prominently on the center of the bed. It was addressed, "Mom." With the worst premonition, she opened the envelope and read the letter with trembling hands: Dear Mom: It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you. I had to elope with my new boyfriend because I wanted to avoid a scene with Dad and you. I've been finding real passion with him and he is so nice-even with all his piercings, tattoos, beard, and his motorcycle clothes. But it's not only the passion Mom, I'm pregnant and he said that we will be very happy. He already owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. He wants to have many more children with me and that's now one of my dreams too. He taught me that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone and we'll be growing it for us and trading it with his friends for all the cocaine and ecstasy we want. In the meantime, we'll pray that science will find a cure for AIDS so he can get better; he sure deserves it!! Don't worry Mom, I'm 15 years old now and I know how to take care of myself. Someday I'm sure we'll be back to visit so you can get to know your grand children. Your daughter, Judith... PS: Mom, none of the above is true. I'm over at the neighbor's house. I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than my report card that's in my desk center drawer. I love you! Call when it is safe for me to come home...
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Minto Political Debate
The host was Jamil Mahmood, Executive Director, Spence Neighbourhood Association.
The candidates were:
Cheryl-Anne E CarrCommunist Party of Canada - Manitoba
Harold DyckGreen Party of Manitoba
Belinda Squance
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
Andrew SwanNew Democratic Party of Manitoba
Don Woodstock, Manitoba Liberal Party
The three panelists were
1. Jessie Gair from Spence Neighbourhood Association2. Shannon Buck from Red Road to Healing Coordinator and Traditional Teachings Coordinator at the West Central Women's Resource Centre.
3. Joan Hay from Ma Mawi
This was my first time doing anything like this, and I had a great time! It was really quite fun.
The three panalists asked very well thought out questions and the candidates gave their answers. Then the floor was opened to the public, and the candidates had to do their best thinking on the fly as these were not rehearsed answers as were the three previous questions.
I am not going to comment as to who won or who gave the best answers, but I will say that not all of the candidates stuck to answering the very direct questions. I did however try to direct them to focusing on the question at hand rather than wondering off in other directions.
Help Stop Child Abuse - REPOST...
A child said to his mom,
Mommy I coloured on your sheets with lipstick!"
In anger she started to hit her child until he was unconscious. She regretted what she had done, crying to her child, "
Please open your eyes!"
it was too late... his little heart had stopped beating. When she walked into the bedroom, the sheet said...
"I love you mommy!"
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
4TH ANNUAL GRANDMOTHERS PROTECING OUR CHILDREN SACRED WALK
4TH ANNUAL GRANDMOTHERS PROTECING OUR CHILDREN SACRED WALK
It was truly a moving experience partaking as well as listening to the many Grandmothers and Youth speaking at the Legislature. It started at Thunderbird House and ended at the Leg.
Here are some pics:
FROM FIRST NATIONS VOICE
BACKGROUND:
In January 2007, Elder Margaret Lavallee was following media coverage of the 12-year-old child who was impregnated by her grandfather. She was outraged, first, by how could the grandfather impregnate his granddaughter, then horrified that the community rallied behind the grandfather and not the child. The mother and child were exiled from their community. Grandmothers Protecting Our Children
“Our Voice is a gift from Creator” “the hurt of one is the hurt of all” “the honor of one is the honor of all” We the Kookums council hear the cries of our children. It is our responsibility as “WISDOM KEEPERS” to bring our communities together, raising awareness wherever there is violation to the human spirits of our children “We will not remain silent”
Someone responds to my Winnipeg Free Press editorial...
A vicious circle... Re: We need to wrap our hearts around this boy (Sept. 16). Floyd Wiebe's comments about the 15-year-old boy who was murdered were refreshing to read. These young female and male children are in bad situations because their parents found themselves in the same situations. Obviously, not all parents of kids who get into trouble or join gangs were not able to parent properly because of their own upbringing, but I am confident the large majority were. So neither generation had a home base, a safe place to live where they learned of their worth and were loved and taught and cared for. So besides the normal teenage angst, these kids are dealt a life they should not have to live, just as many of their parents did before them. They know nothing else. The village could come to their assistance and model to them how important and full of hope their futures are. Alas, the village is filled with, as Wiebe says, "somes, others and anyone elses." There are few citizens in the village who understand their responsibility. DIANA TAMBLYN
Winnipeg
This morning...
Was just on CKUW - U of W with Cam MacLean talking about the election. Man this guy asks tough and well thought out questions! He sure has a future in radio if he wants it especially as a political correspondent. Thanks for inviting me Cam!
Friday, September 16, 2011
Free Press features my blog about Clarky Stevenson in today's paper.
Click here to see the Winnipeg Free Press article.
Tonight the family is having a "Walk in honour of Clarky Stevenson."
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
I AM PISSED OFF...
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BACKGROUND
September 10th: A 15 year old boy, along with another male on a bicycle, was at College Avenue and Aikins Street at about 2:40 a.m., when they met a group of males and a fight broke out, resulting in the teen being stabbed. Police said the teen is known to police and the incident appeared to be "a street-gang related matter." Three days later, he died... No arrests...
His name is Clarky Stevenson…
I AM PISSED OFF
I keep a blog of the 2011 Winnipeg murders (http://floydwiebe.ca), and I added this horrible murder this week... As I was doing my research, I came across various news agency videos and still shots of the paramedics transporting the dying boy, with no shirt, and no sheets covering him, to an ambulance. WHY? Why does the reader/viewer need to see this? But that's hardly the point. WHY DOES HIS FAMILY HAVE TO? If they have to have a picture of Clarky, why could it not have been the one in this blog?
Does it actually sell more newspapers? Do people rush to 7-11 to buy a newspaper to see this? Do they PVR the scene for instant replay?
I have never seen my son TJ’s dead body. The medical examiner said, "It wasn't advisable." I took her advice. The juries in the case all saw him. The murderers saw him and had a whole book of pictures to look at him at their disposal. The lawyers all saw him. I did not. Why then does all of Winnipeg have the ability to see a dying 15-year-old boy, possibly before his parents may have even known he was even stabbed? THIS HAS HAPPENED!!!
The police, and I understand their logic, say, he is "known to police", and "a street-gang related matter", and I cringe... as right away, "SOME" people react with a "Oh, he’s a gang kid… Oh well, at least its one of them killing their own." Then, more people, upon finding out he's aboriginal, dismiss it even further, and combined with being gang-related, “SOME” people will instantly forget what they read.
More people will exclaim, "Where are his parents at 2:40 am?" and say, "I damn well know where my kids are at 2:40 am! " SO WHAT? Does that mean we should dismiss this poor kid? We need to wrap our hearts around this little boy. Oh yes, then there are “OTHERS” who will "think" the above words, but will not verbalize it, for fear of not being "politically correct".
I remind the “SOME” and the “OTHERS” and ANYONE ELSE that,
"It takes a village to raise a child."
The village has leaders. There is an election looming. I can just see “SOME” political pundits saying, (in whispered voices) "Oh shit... We don't need this now..." Well, to the "SOME" political pundits... FIX IT... Now is your chance...
If you are not “SOME” or “OTHERS” but are the… “ANYONE ELSE”, then lets work together as a community to HELP our politicians FIX IT.
I AM PISSED OFF... I hope you are too.
From my dear friend, Jessica Dumas:
I think this is great and I totally agree with your opinion. Media definitely adds to normalizing the violence and continues to add blame to 'video games' and 'music'. Because of the baggage the media has added to this young baby's death, few people will care, his life has been deemed meaningless and just another story. It’s disgusting. I'm pissed off too. I was shocked and furious when I saw a picture of my dying brother on the front page of The Sun. At least in death, can he have some dignity?
- Jessica Dumas, sister to Matthew Dumas killed in 2005 by WPS.
Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights
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On March 30, 2010, I was part of a group of people that were invited to speak in front of 12 Members of Parliament with a focal point on gangs. I have copied and pasted only my portion of the evidence presented.
WARNING: It's a LONG read...
For the full text with everyone, please click here:
40th PARLIAMENT, 3rd SESSION
Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights
EVIDENCE
CONTENTS
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Mr. Floyd Wiebe (Executive Director, Gang Awareness for Parents):
Thank you very much for inviting me to participate in this committee.
I'm probably the only person to appear before this committee who wishes he wasn't. My 20-year-old son TJ was brutally murdered on January 5, 2003. His murder was well planned by four young men aged 17 to 20. He was beaten by two of them, injected in the neck with Drano, strangled with a shoelace while being pulled by his neck over the front seat of a car, stripped of most of his clothing, dumped in a ditch where one of them did jumping jacks on his chest, and stabbed multiple times in the neck, only to be found five weeks later under three feet of snow.
Three people were convicted. Two of them received life sentences with a chance of parole after 15 years. One is up for parole in just a few weeks. The 17-year-old mastermind was acquitted after they all refused to testify against him.
This was my beginning of a journey that brought me here today. What started with rage and disbelief ended in a devotion to prevention. My wife Karen, who is sitting behind me, and I created the TJ's Gift Foundation, now a registered charity, which raises $50,000 a year, with 100% of that money going to peer-led drug education programs in Manitoba schools.
I recently left the business world, and just eight weeks ago the Manitoba Department of Justice invested in my new organization, called GAP, Gang Awareness for Parents. My mission is to educate parents before their children get involved in gangs, and offer guidance to help them.
This journey has not been easy. It has been heartbreaking, depressing, enlightening, and rewarding. During these seven years I have talked with far too many victims and I have met many drug-addicted youth, gang wannabes, and street gang members.
How did these individuals end up where they are? There's really no greater gift than that of being a parent, and yet so many abuse and squander this gift. When our youth are abused and squandered, in many cases they end up being cared for by the system.
We've all been raised with the adage that it takes a village to raise a child, but the problem is that we throw many of these children in jail. An example of this is when we see kids stealing cars. They are incarcerated over and over again, and now we want to throw them in jail for even longer. Is that how we want to raise our children? Is that what we want to do with the gift that we were given as a community when they were abandoned? Do we continue this cycle and toss them away? No. We treat them, we stand by them, we help them, we care for them, and we believe in them.
Last week I was in a Toronto conference on gangs. I listened and talked with many former gang members who had turned their lives around. Not one told me that being in jail or the threat of being in jail turned them around. I asked what did. They told me that people standing by them and believing in them turned them around. That is what they needed, someone to care for them. Someone in the village cared. Now these abused and abandoned people are caring for others. That truly is a village raising a child.
The public is demanding that the government do something about the state of gangs in Canada, so changes are being made to the YCJA: more mandatory minimum sentences, longer sentences, and as a result, many more people in jails. The Canadian government is presently spending $1,000 a day on the incarceration of three of my son's murderers. This case alone costs $360,000 a year. This cost will go on for many, many years, and in my case justifiably so, as they murdered my son. We are not talking about the average person who goes to jail. This was murder. I can't help but wonder, though, why we couldn't have invested that thousand dollars a day--or even half of that--on prevention. Maybe I would not have to be here addressing this panel.
I use the term “investment”, and I'm glad Paul used that word as well, rather than “spending”. We invest to gain returns. We spend when mistakes are made.
This is the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. I thought it was an appropriate title. With the justice part, it needs to be handed out when dealing with organized crime and gangs. It is difficult to write laws that are specific enough to do what is intended or needed. Generally they are too broad. I believe the laws should somehow--and I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know how--be written to deal with gangs that are part of the higher-level organized gang and their puppet clubs. I do believe that this country needs to crack down on these gangs.
I personally know a puppet club member who was recently arrested in Winnepeg. I've know him since the day he was born. This person did not come from a disadvantaged background. He made choices along the way, all the time knowing what may lie ahead of him. He knew what he was doing.
He made a lot of money. He lived the life, he drove fast cars, and he had all the toys. Only now, when he is facing 12 years, is he realizing that he needs to change. He had just gotten out of jail after several years and was attempting to change, or so he told me just a month before he was arrested. However, he fell back into it very shortly, but he knew the consequences when he fell back in and he still made a choice. He is not unlike anyone else in these puppet clubs; in fact, he is the norm—and I'm sure you've heard about those kinds of gangs in other cities.
However, each province has unique gangs in their cities. The street gangs that exist in Winnipeg do not exist in Vancouver, Toronto, or other cities. The street-level gangs need to be handled differently, with an understanding of how these young people got to where they are. Today, judges take aboriginal ancestry and upbringing into play. When considering sentencing, the judge will often reduce that sentence; in fact, it's demanded of him or her. That same type of consideration needs to be given to these lower-level gang members.
When I meet with street gang members, and I have met many, they are a completely different story from the person I was referring to above. Every single one got there as a result of poverty, mental illness, being in a variety of foster homes, and a whole host of other reasons. The other presenters here today, such as Just TV and Turning the Tides, work with these young people and have huge success with keeping them out of gangs. I hope my organization will do the same. There are many groups like this that are trying to save these kids. In fact, they're all meeting today, coincidentally, two floors below us.
The other component of this committee is human rights. As a country—the village—it is our children's human rights to receive every opportunity to survive and prosper. Unfortunately, not everyone will. Some will fall through the cracks. We need to be there to pick up the pieces. Yesterday I read that the Canadian government wants to increase its prison budget by 27% to $3.1 billion. I encourage this committee to press the government to take 100% of this anticipated increase away from the prison budget and reallocate every cent into human rights, into prevention. This reversal would mean an investment in our country's future and would not even be considered by the public as a cost at all.
I know the cost of a life gone.
I just wish that someone would have invested in and cared for TJ's murderers. Maybe they would have cared about themselves, and maybe they would have cared about TJ.
Thank you.
Mr. Brian Murphy (Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, Lib.):
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you, witnesses, for being here.
I think we're particularly touched, Mr. and Mrs. Wiebe, by your experience. We have met many victims' representatives over the years that I've been here. It is quite interesting that many turn from an initial or perhaps an ongoing shock or dismay to a realization that what they wish to spend effort on in the future is prevention and “what could have been”. Some, however—and I think you probably agree—understandably are not as willing to think about prevention but are willing to think about what we would call justice. That's understandable. We take it very seriously; it's the first-hand evidence of victims.
I'm struck as well that the theme of the panel is prevention and intervention with youth at risk, if you like. We are here studying organized crime, and I have a couple of questions. I'll just make them brief.
There are people in Ottawa who are thinking of national programs such as a national service policy for youth. I understand that there's a provincial-federal cut-off, and that many of these programs we speak of are provincially mandated. Is there something nationally we can look at in terms of getting the youth engaged and getting them diverted?
Secondly, is the victims ombudsman office helpful in any way? There's a fair amount of money there. There's going to be a new ombudsman sometime soon. Is there something that can be done with that to improve things?
Finally, and probably this is the first point I'd like you to address, we're assuming that youth are either directly involved or are pawns in organized crime or higher-level crimes. I met with some Winnipeg police officers a year or so ago who suggested that some gang elders or gang older members will use the persons who are within the age range of the Youth Criminal Justice Act to do acts—steal cars, or whatever—thus insulating themselves from blame. If you have time, perhaps you could talk about the specific use of youth and actions of youth towards gaining what we've all learned is the manna of criminal activity and of organized crime especially: money.
Mr. Floyd Wiebe:
First of all, to answer your last question first, when you were talking about the victims ombudsman, I think that Bill C-43 before the House is absolutely perfectly written. It addresses many concerns from victims.
In fact, we are attending a parole hearing just weeks from now, and it's crazy how they decide how it's done. The murderer sits in front of me, we have to sit behind him. We're not allowed to look at him, we're not allowed to look at him. He's not allowed to look at us. How archaic is this? This person murdered somebody, we're there, and we're asked to come and give a victim impact statement about how this person affected our lives.
First of all, we have to present our speech two weeks ahead of time so he gets to read it before. Then after he reads our victim impact statement, he can just go, “Well, I'm not meeting with these parents; I forgo my stuff.” So it puts us through a massive hell up to that point. That is all being changed, as I understand it. I have asked, actually, this next parole board if I can actually face him, and we'll see. I have not been told that I can, so we'll see. This addresses that.
As far as the national program, I know many of us here are all talking about what's happening today locally and what we're all doing for prevention. I think at the federal level, there are funds available to help eliminate organized crime, etc., but try to apply for them. I would invite every person on this panel to go and download some of these applications and try to fill them out yourself. Don't get a lawyer involved, don't get anybody else involved, but try to fill them out yourself. Paul referred to how much time we spend--and I'm the newbie here, I've only been in business for seven weeks. My wife has tried to fill out some of these applications. So when you talk about what can be done, that can be done.
I addressed to this committee at the very end of my speech how I just cannot understand how we as a country can have a 27% increase in funding to build more prisons and hire 4,000 new staff. Hire 4,000 new staff? Take that 4,000 new staff and direct them into prevention programs. To me, that's not even a question, because I believe the 4,000 people working previous to gang involvement can certainly help every single person who goes into that jail way more before they get there. That's my personal opinion. And to answer what the federal level can do perfectly, it's that right there. To me, that's absolutely a no-brainer.
We have had a bit of a debate ongoing—including yesterday, when it was fairly prominent—about whether we should deal with organized street gangs differently than we do with the traditional stereotyped Mafia, Cosa Nostra types of groups, or the bikers. I'd like to hear from you if you have any comments on that. Can we use our traditional methods of fighting those groups, that is, by getting at the money sources and other mechanisms, or do we approach these differently?
I want to go that far because there was some discussion about whether we should have, within our Criminal Code or criminal justice system, a different definition for street gangs or youth gangs from what we presently use, still recognizing that they are somewhat organized but different from the adult ones.
Mr. Floyd Wiebe:
I think in my speech I referred to that very instance. When I read the new bill--I've read so many bills in the last few days, fourteen or fifteen, I don't remember which one it was--where it discusses organized crime, basically, as I recall, it's just a very simple one-liner, that if there are five or more people getting together and doing a crime that's an indictable offence, they constitute organized crime. I'm sorry, but five little Mad Cowz who are 13 years old are not the same as five Zig Zag Crew members or five Hells Angels getting together and creating a crime.
As I said, I'm not a lawyer. I don't know how you can define that. Currently, organized crime laws are already a horrible thing, because every time the courts get it, it falls apart. We built a huge courthouse in Manitoba, five or eight years ago, and it fell apart. The legal department, the justice department, really needs to take this, analyze it, and actually split it.
I'm saying, similar to aboriginal sentencing, somehow we got to the point where we sentence aboriginal people in this country different from other people because of how they got to where they are and how they got to create that crime. How can we then not do the same thing with organized crime, because it's just too broad?
I've met too many of these kids in the Youth Drug Stabilization Act. I've met too many kids at coffee shops—with Kelly, in fact. You have this little kid who comes from a horrible situation, and he has his bros and he has his homies, and they go out and do some stupid things like steal cars, and some of them steal a lot of cars. My truck was stolen by one of them. Yet you cannot take those same kids and treat them exactly the same under one bill that says “You're five people and you were doing something that's an indictable offence, so we're going to treat you the same as a Hells Angel.” I fear that, because with judges today—and believe me, I've been in front of a lot of them—this judge will do this and this judge will do that, and you need that input to those judges from the attorneys, from the prosecutors, that these are not the same. They cannot be just put into jail because of this law.
Mrs. Alexandra Mendes (Brossard—La Prairie, Lib.):
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Thank you to all of you for being here.
I know you've just touched on that subject, but I really would like to see it from the federal level. What could we do? What could the federal government do to avoid the recruitment of underage children to commit adult crimes? The bottom line is that's what they're used for. How can we help? I know the funding is a big part of it, and I defend it fully, but are there suggestions from the justice department or from the victims ombudsman, as my colleague mentioned? Are there ways to plead?
Mr. Floyd Wiebe:
If you realize, the people in this room, that it's your budget that controls the $3.1 billion in prisons--it's your budget here, right?--I think it makes sense, then, for you to figure out, with the ten provinces, why you're inheriting all those people from the provinces into your federal prisons. You're the one who is paying for it.
If you want to reduce how much you spend on that, then I think you need to listen to all of these people here who are all doing provincially--most of us, provincially--because we're actually the ones who are trying to prevent the ones ending up federally....
When you ask, Mr. Fast, that we might deal with federal issues, to me that makes the most sense. It is a federal issue when the provinces are dealing with all of the funding for all these prevention programs. I think getting all those people in the room makes total sense, getting what he said--the provincial level, making it federal.... Your question is absolutely right on.
Mrs. Maria Mourani (Ahuntsic, BQ):
Good morning, everyone. Thank you very much for being here today and sharing your testimony with us.
Mr. Wiebe, first, I would like to offer you my sincere condolences on the loss of your son. I admire your courage and also your great humanity. Losing a member of our family can sometimes leave us feeling extremely angry and blind. I welcome your testimony, because of the strong emphasis on compassion, prevention, and trying to save children before they become criminals.
I am also a member of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. A few days ago, we heard the Minister of Public Safety and all the other officials. My question was specifically about prevention. In the current budget, and subsequent budgets, there is really no increase in terms of prevention, and this was confirmed to me. The budget varies between $30 million and $60 million for the whole of Canada.
I am looking at you, and you seem to be exceptional people, in your need to rescue young people, even though you have only crumbs, little bits of money, to do it with. Looking at the budget, we see that there is still no increase. This was the first point I wanted to confirm, that there will be no increase for prevention. That has been the case for several years, going back before the present government.
I would also like to talk to you about the Young Offenders Act before getting to my question. That act is intended to criminalize young people 14, 15 or 16 years old, according to the provinces.
I have been listening to my colleagues asking what we can do. In fact, you have been telling us from the outset: prevention, prevention, prevention.
There is no more money being invested in prevention. The NCPC has told us that it can't even apply for any more projects because there is no more money in the budget, until 2001-2012. What do we do if there is no more money being invested in prevention? They don't want to invest in prevention, but they want to hand out harsher sentences to young people who may have committed murders or serious crimes at the age of 14 or 15 or 16. So the real question to ask is this: what do we do after talking about prevention and not criminalizing young people? In fact, we find ourselves with a system that will do that, that will criminalize young people and won't invest a penny more in prevention.
Mr. Floyd Wiebe:
In our case we had one juvenile, the mastermind behind TJ's murder. He was held in the Manitoba Youth Centre for 32 months. Even though the murder happened prior to the Youth Criminal Justice Act--it came in on April 1, 2003--my son was murdered January 5, 2003, so he came under the YCJA instead of the YOA.
Not that I'm commenting about the YCJA so much, but just based on what Kelly said, this individual who masterminded my son's murder received absolutely zero intervention in his life from a psychiatrist, psychologist, nothing. I'm not supposed to know this, but I found out. We victims have an incredible way of finding things out we're not supposed to. I was so disturbed, even though I was enraged that this person—he was three weeks shy of his eighteenth birthday—had the capacity to convince three other people to murder for him because they did not even know my son. Even though, as Mr. Murphy said, I could be filled with rage at that, what I was more enraged with was this person was held in an institution for 32 months before he was acquitted and received absolutely no help. So what does that say to this peer? First of all he goes into a youth institution, he's held there for 32 months, gets absolutely no mental help. Do you think he needs mental help? He just had someone murdered.
It's hard for me to even go there, yet nothing happened. So what Kelly said is absolutely correct. This person needs to be dealt with; otherwise he'll kill again, because not only did he not get intervention for 32 months, he got off, which is totally another thing. Think of the power this young man may have in his system right now.
Mr. Bob Dechert (Mississauga—Erindale, CPC):
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for sharing your views with us today. I'm very impressed with what you had to say, and I thank you also for the good work you do through your organizations.
Mr. Wiebe, I want to express my condolences to you and your family. I'm sorry this tragedy happened in your family.
You said a number of things that struck me this morning. One was with respect to the different types of criminal organizations that are out there. I get it that there are street gangs that are organizations of young people who perhaps lack economic opportunity, who are looking for a place to belong, or have other social needs. Then there are more serious criminal organizations that prey upon them.
I think you mentioned something called a puppet club; you used that term. You said there was an individual there who, now that he's facing 12 years in jail, suddenly wants to change. What organization is he from? Where does he fit into the whole picture? How does he or the organization that he represents prey upon these other street gangs?
Mr. Floyd Wiebe:
That example was a Zig Zag Crew member. Actually he's a former Zig Zag Crew member. This individual was raised right next door to me; he lived there basically his whole life, so I know him very well. He did get involved in the Zig Zag Crew. In Winnipeg, you have to understand this, the Zig Zag Crew members.... I doubt any person on this panel.... None of those crew members are the ones these people help, because they got there for different reasons. As I said in my speech, he got there because of choice, because of the money, and all of that stuff.
He essentially is a criminal businessman.
Mr. Floyd Wiebe:
He's absolutely a criminal businessman. He will admit that to me every time I visit him. He knows what he's doing. He knew when he came out of jail that if he ever got caught with gun involvement again, he would get a minimum ten-year sentence. He knew that. If he was trafficking heroin, he was going to get a minimum two-year sentence. He still made that decision.
There is a huge difference between him and the people that this crew then goes down. It goes from Asian organized crime that has all the drugs, to the Hells Angels, to whoever has equality with them, to the Zigs, to the Mad Cowz, to all the B-siders. There's that pyramid schedule.
What do we need to do to prevent people like him from getting into business and preying on these other gangs?
Mr. Floyd Wiebe:
I don't know that the other panel members will agree, but I believe in laws that take people like the Zig Zags and above, those public clubs.... And, yes, I might disagree with the panel about jails. But I'm sorry; these people are calculated, organized people who don't come from the regular homes that all these people are talking about. I believe, personally—this is just me—that they need to be put away for a long time.
When I visit him in the remand centre--I'll visit him again, and I will still support him—I tell him that he is going down for this, and he agrees. He absolutely agrees.
If we send him, and others like him, a message that we're not going to tolerate their behaviour, can we stem the flow of people like that?
Mr. Floyd Wiebe:
I personally believe that you can.
Okay. Thank you very much for that.
So it is seven times more effective with respect to the individual, as opposed to the protection of society, as you understand it. Thank you.
Mr. Wiebe, I certainly share the feelings of the other members of the panel who have expressed condolences to you and your family, and I really appreciate your coming here to share your story, as painful as it is. From my perspective, victims of crime and families of victims are the people the criminal justice system ought to be protecting, and I was curious as to whether you or your family has ever used the services of the federal ombudsman for victims of crime.
Mr. Floyd Wiebe:
We are not doing so currently. I was vice-president of the Manitoba Organization for Victim Assistance for several years. It is a Manitoba group that helps victims of homicide go through the court system. In fact, I almost applied for the ombudsman job when it came up three years ago—
It's open again.
Mr. Floyd Wiebe:
Yes, I know, but I'd have to move to Ottawa. Move it here and I'll be okay.
I came this close, though, believe me. That position is incredible, and it is becoming more and more useful. My wife and I have not accessed it personally, but I know people who have.
You are familiar with some of its programs, I take it.
Mr. Floyd Wiebe:
Yes.
Obviously you support that initiative and counsel other families of victims to access its services when necessary.
Mr. Floyd Wiebe:
I do, very much so, and so do your parole service people. We just had parole services meet with us two weeks ago, and there were many victims in the room who didn't know about it. The Government of Canada is also promoting to victims that it is available, and it should absolutely be kept. It is a very important component.
Thank you for that.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you.
That brings us to the end of our time. We want to thank each one of you. We've gained a little different perspective from you, because you're representing the intervention and prevention side of the equation.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
I am moderator of an upcoming political forum on community safety. MAKE SURE YOU VOTE!
Magnus Eliason Recreation Centre 430 Langside St. Winnipeg, MB
This FREE public forum is an opportunity for community members to listen to and ask questions of candidates running in the 2011 provincial election. The focus of this forum is community safety. The candidates will give a brief introduction. There will be three community panelist, one talking on youth safety issues, one on women's and family safety and one on aboriginal safety. Each panelist will have two minutes to raise one point and pose a question to candidates about their safety topic.Then we will open it up to questions from the community.Confirmed speakers include:
Andrew Swan (NDP, current MLA for Minto)
Belinda Squance (PC candidate for Minto)
Don Woodstock (Liberal candidate for Minto)Floyd Wiebe will be moderating the forum. Come out and make your voices heard. Don't forget to vote on Oct. 4.
Monday, September 12, 2011
A man died in my arms this morning...but saved by true professionals...
Normal.dotm 0 0 1 529 3020 GAP Manitoba Inc. 25 6 3708 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false
This morning I was at my favourite restaurant, Wannabee’s, with an “at risk” youth…
A man about my age sitting in the next table went to the bathroom, and emerged when Karen, Wannabee’s owner saw that he was in distress. She came over and asked if was ok. No reply. She yelled out if anyone knew the Heimlich maneuver, and although it’s been 25 years since I had “some” minor training, I got up and did what I hoped was right, over and over and over again. He pushed my arms away, I guess I was hurting him, and I thought it cleared. He sat back down, but still in distress. Another Wannabee’s guest did the same thing as I did, but with the same result. Then a Dr. came rushing in from a clinic next door. She was just a little thing, and could barely do the maneuver on him, but tried. I said that I would take over, as she was barely holding him. She tried looking into his mouth while I was doing it. She thought she saw “something”.
Karen said the ambulance was on the way, and was very, very distressed… I kept on doing the Heimlich, but, I felt, the Dr. was no real help at all, as she seemed at a loss of what to do. But then again, I guess she isn’t emergency trained…
Suddenly his 6’ frame started weighing on me and his knees gave out and he and I were going down. I exclaimed to the Dr. “I’m losing him! What do I do, I can’t hold him up!” She said to lie him down, which to me, made no sense if he’s actually choking, so I said, “I’m going to let him sit on the floor, I don’t want to lay him down.”
Just as his bum slowly touched the floor, the fire paramedics rushed in and took over.
He tried to open his mouth, which was locked tight, and no way was he getting it open, he started CPR. The others hooked him up to a machine and then exclaimed…
“He’s asytole…” (asystole “known as flatline” is a state of no cardiac electrical activity, hence no contractions of the myocardium and no cardiac output or blood flow. Asystole is one of the conditions that may be used for a medical practitioner to certify clinical or legal death. Out of hospital survival rates (even with emergency intervention) are less than 2 percent.)
They shot 2 shots of epinephrine into him, while one did CPR continually. Then an ambulance showed up and 8 professionals were there. Nothing seemed to work. CPR for 4 minutes, check for vital signs, still flat-lined, then another 4 minutes, more epinephrine, continual CPR, still flat-lined.
I prayed...
I think it was about 10 minutes; maybe it reached 12, when suddenly they got a heartbeat. They saved his life, I hope…
It was amazing to watch these well-trained professionals doing their stuff to this poor guy, with no name. Karen told them he lived in a nearby group home. They put him on a stretcher, and away they went. I told the guys how incredible they all were and that they had saved a life. They looked at me… with a “Duh!, This is what we do…” kind of look, and I guess they are right, this is what they do. I guess to these true professionals, it was just another day…
Not to me it wasn’t… Not to me.
I’m still shaking…
"Life..." by me...
Life... It isn't what we agreed to... But... We move forward... Breaking limbs along the way... But... They grow back... Maybe bent... But we have them...
Saturday, September 10, 2011
MB LIBERALS Preventing Crime By Treating Addictions Solution To Soaring Violent Crime
Preventing Crime By Treating Addictions Solution To Soaring Violent Crime Rate Crime rates soar in Manitoba as NDP ignores addiction WINNIPEG- The NDP have buried their head in the sand for 12 years ignoring the role addiction plays with crime in Manitoba. The result is a Manitoba spike in violent crime that has splashed on headlines nation-wide. Manitoba Liberals are the only party to identify the role addictions play in crime and the only party with a strategy to deal with it. “The wait-times to get addictions treatment under the NDP are unacceptable,” says Mantoba Liberal Leader Jon Gerrard. “Our goal is to prevent crime from happening in the first place. A strong addictions strategy will make communities safer for everyone.” Studies show that in up to 70% of violent crimes, there has been substance abuse. The first year of this commitment would see a $1.2 million investment that would go to different addictions treatment facilities such as the Behavioral Foundation in St. Norbert that would reduce addictions wait times. “Manitoba Liberals in the legislature would fight for better addictions funding. This is part of the Liberal plan for strong families and healthy communities.”
PC MANITOBA Will Support Youth Programming
McFadyen Will Support Youth Programming September 9, 2011 $25 million to fund youth-at-risk programming, community workers and cover fees for volunteer background checks Community facilities, charities and not-for-profit organizations make a tremendous contribution toward making Manitoba communities safer and keeping them growing. Manitoba Progressive Conservative Party Leader HughMcFadyen announced a plan to support these organizations with a new, five year, $25 million Manitoba Youth Investment Fund. McFadyen made the announcement today at the Boys and Girls Club of Winnipeg. “We hear from a number of community centres and community facilities that they could do so much more programming if they had a little extra support to fill in for gaps that volunteers can’t. Manitoba’s volunteer spirit is tremendous, but we believe this fund will amplify the efforts of those volunteers, by providing for some additional staff support at community facilities around Manitoba,” says McFadyen. “With more programming support for community organizations we can help provide some relief to volunteers, support for families, and make a positive difference in our community over the long term.” A McFadyen government would launch a new $5 million Manitoba Youth Investment Fund that will provide $2 million to support youth-at-risk programming, $2 million to support more community workers, and $1 million to cover the fees required for background checks on volunteers. The program will bring support to programming around Manitoba that helps different families in different circumstances, all of whom make a difference in their respective communities. “Volunteers are the backbone of our community facilities, and with the right support, we can help them do even more,” says Gary Kristiansen, President of Bourkevale Community Centre. “Funding for a staff member at our community centre can help increase the number of programs, and help the volunteers who support them, do even more for our community.” “TheWinnipeg Boys and Girls Club supports any initiative that increases support. This will help us reach so many more people to make a difference in their lives and in the community,” says Ron Brown, President and CEO. “Covering the costs of the background checks will make an important contribution as well, ensuring we can safely screen our staff and volunteers without bearing the financial burden. This plan will make a difference.” “The cost of the record check should not be a hardship for volunteer organizations,” adds McFadyen. “By investing in staff, supporting mentors, and covering the costs of background checks, we will support stronger community organizations that help build safer communities. Tackling crime and the causes of crime is positive change Manitobans want.”
PC MANITOBA Proposes Community Investment Fund
New fund would contribute $20 million per year to facilities, help build safer communities Violent crime and gangs have flourished in Manitoba over the past twelve years thanks to Greg Selinger and the NDP. Hugh McFadyen and the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives want to tackle violent crime with more support for police and prosecutors, but they also understand the root causes need to be addressed. Community facilities, home to recreational activities and other resources, can make a huge difference, but they suffer from a lack of funding. To address this challenge, a McFadyen government will introduce a new Manitoba Community Investment Fund to provide support for community facilities across Manitoba. “Long-term crime reduction calls for action to tackle root causes. We have to make sure our community centres and community facilities across Manitoba are able to provide alternatives for young people,” says McFadyen. “The patchwork funding approach of Greg Selinger and the NDP over the past twelve years hasn’t helped our crumbling community centres and recreation facilities any more than it has helped the crumbling roads and bridges. Our new funding programs will change this.” The Manitoba Community Investment Fund will provide $20 million a year to community facilities around Manitoba. This would be an increase of $5 million per year over current NDP funding levels, and the fund will ultimately provide $25 million in new funding over a five-year period. Funding will be open to applications from community organizations across Manitoba. “This extra support will make an important difference for our facility and our programming,” says Kevin O’Neill, President, Bord-Aire Community Club. “The additional funding is a big step in the right direction and will help us increase our support to the community.” "As a family with young children, we plan to use these community centres all the time, and more money to fix it up would be great for my family and my community," says Candice Vince. "These community centres are an important part of our neighbourhood, and it's good to see a party making this a priority." “These facilities help bridge the time around school hours and they can make a huge difference in tackling the long term causes of crime,” adds McFadyen. “This fund will help us create safer communities for Manitoba families, and bring positive change Manitobans are looking for.”
NDP SAFER COMMUNITIES
SAFER COMMUNITIES We are all part of the solution – working together we’ll make Manitoba safer for everyone. MORE PREVENTION: We will work with Ottawa and create new laws to make gang recruitment a crime. We will put police officers on the streets, walking in neighbourhoods to prevent crimes before they happen. 50 additional police officers will be hired to walk the beat in Winnipeg, including downtown. We will fund 25 additional cadets for downtown Winnipeg. We will expand the successful School Resource Officers program to provide 2 more police officers in Winnipeg schools. We will not give up on the potential of our children. We will set up a new program called After School Matters to provide mentorship and leadership development to kids. Our new jail facilities, including rebuilding the Dauphin jail, will have better addictions treatment and mental health programs to prevent criminals from re-offending. FASTER PROSECUTION: We will establish the first-in-Canada weekend court, using retired judges, to add capacity to the court system. We are hiring 53 new prosecutors and 29 paralegal and clerical staff by 2016. We will add more court clerks inside and outside the courtroom to make the courts work more efficiently. We will relocate the Small Claims Court to make space for more criminal cases to move through the system. WORK WITH OTTAWA TO IMPROVE THE LAW: Federal Laws New federal laws should create mandatory minimum sentences for pre-meditated knife crimes and treat these crimes just as seriously as those committed with guns. We need the federal law to have separate, additional offences for home invasions and car jackings – violent crimes for which the penalties should match the severity. We will push the federal government to make serious arson a crime against a person, instead of a crime against property, and it needs to be declared a violent crime. The federal Youth Criminal Justice Act must allow judges to consider deterrence and denunciation when they are handing down sentences. The Act must be amended to ensure that violent, repeat offenders can be held in jail without bail, and can be tried as adults where appropriate. Provincial Laws We will create new, additional penalties for criminals who threaten the safety of police officers and fire fighters by booby-trapping meth labs and grow ops. We will create penalties for people who use animals when committing crimes – to guard drug dens, for example. MORE TOOLS TO COMBAT CRIME: We will hire 50 new police officers for rural and northern communities, including 5 for Brandon. We will expand the successful Winnipeg police cadet program to northern and rural communities to free up officers for real police work, with 25 new cadets. We will continue to work with Ottawa to reduce the amount of time that police are required to attend court proceedings for routine matters. We will expand the use of electronic monitoring bracelets, in consultation with the police, to people convicted of sex offences, domestic assaults, and other dangerous criminals. We will add 6 more investigators under the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act that has closed 509 problem properties, including drug, sniff and prostitution houses, since its establishment in 2002. We will add 3 more investigators for the Winnipeg Arson Strike Force through the Office of the Fire Commissioner. We will add 3 more investigators for Criminal Property Forfeiture Unit that seized the Hells Angels’ Clubhouse. We will fund the RCMP and Winnipeg Police Service integrated Warrant Enforcement Unit and streamline police access to information contained in government databases to track down and apprehend individuals with outstanding warrants.
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