Editorial: New laws are not the same as action

Throughout this Spring, the Ford Government has been announcing new and tougher legislation combating impaired driving, vehicle theft, and a raft of other immediate criminal issues. It is a move to make the province look tough on crime – responding to critics that say that not enough is being done to address these problems.

Just last week, the Ontario government proposed to impose new stiffer penalties on impaired drivers – including a lifetime driving ban for those whose impaired driving causes death. Prior to that was the announcement of a 10-year (or more) driving ban on those who are found guilty of auto theft where a weapon was used, or threats against victims, or if the action is part of an organized crime ring.

At face value, these proposals look reasonable. Requiring vehicle interlock devices for those found guilty of impaired driving, and imposing a lifetime ban for those who were impaired and turned their vehicle into a killing weapon is entirely appropriate. Making poor choices has consequences and those should be proportionate. This applies to the rising rate of auto theft in the province.

Stealing vehicles out of the driveway of a home is one thing; organized crime rings systematically stealing multiple cars and committing home invasions or worse to obtain the vehicles is another. Again, poor choices or decisions have consequences and those should have a proportionate punishment fitting the crime.

Much like the distracted driving/texting-and-driving laws that were put in place less than a decade ago, the new laws proposed in these instances are only superseding laws that already exist – that when enforced – have many of the same consequences. Passing a new law rather than enforcing an existing law is considered action by those in the Ford Government. And that is incorrect.

Much like it is easy for this government to throw money at constructing or renovating bricks-and-mortar buildings, but not at the people needed to properly deliver health care, education, and social services – this government is not spending where it needs in targeted enforcement, and in prosecution.

Police budgets have not increased much in the last five years outside of inflationary issues and some capital purchases. Staffing – especially in the response to certain upticks in crime statistics – is where the problem lies, as does the massive backlog in the provincial court system. You cannot enforce existing or new laws if you lack the human resources to do so. And you cannot prosecute those who are caught in a timely fashion if Crown Attorney offices are short-staffed and there are vacancies in the Ontario Court of Justice.

Passing new laws and adding stiffer penalties may act as a deterrent for some of those considering breaking the law, but adding staff, increasing enforcement and prosecution of existing laws will do much more to that effect. That is what real action looks like.

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