Peel Police Services Board Chair and Peel Regional Police Chief Advocate for Bail Reform

Posted on Thursday February 02, 2023

Region of Peel – Peel Police Services Board Chair Ron Chatha and Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah have written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and provided a submission to Ontario’s Standing Committee on Justice Policy calling for changes to bail and judicial interim release decisions for violent and chronic offenders.

Together, Chair Chatha and Chief Duraiappah have requested an immediate re-evaluation of the bail system's public safety considerations. Over the years, Peel Region has seen high-risk, violent offenders released back into our community, who then await their trials for extended periods due to backlogs in the criminal justice system.

Responsible for policing in Mississauga and Brampton, one of Canada's fastest-growing urban regions, Peel Regional Police and our residents have witnessed the violent and tragic, yet preventable, outcomes of criminal acts committed by repeat offenders ingoring conditions of their release.

The Police Services Board and Peel Regional Police support amendments to the Criminal Code that expand reverse onus offences to address chronic, violent offenders, such as those charged with illegal firearm possession and intimate partner violence where there are prior offences committed to intimidate, threaten, or cause fear to an intimate partner, regardless of the use of violence. They also call on Ontario’s Ministry of the Attorney General to work closely with federal counterparts to ensure policies, guidelines, and directives are appropriately coordinated to reflect legislative changes. Our service firmly believes that greater weight must be provided to public safety considerations on the assessment of whether to consent to or oppose bail.

This is a complex issue and the Peel Police Services Board and Peel Regional Police are committed to working with Federal and Provincial criminal justice stakeholders to develop legislative, policy, and resourcing solutions that protect victims and strengthen the safety of our communities.

For media inquiries, please contact the on-duty Public and Media Relations Officer at 905- 453-2121, extension 4027. 

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N/R: 23-036

Peel Regional Police - A Safer Community Together 

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