Province tops national news again for violence
Day of Death blared the front page of Sunday’s Winnipeg Sun. 3 dead 3 injured in Winnipeg Shooting cried cbc.ca. Cabbie Killed by Speeding Stolen SUV screamed the Winnipeg Free Press.

Two separate weekend crimes – a shooting at a house party and a high speed crash involving a stolen truck ‑- left four dead and eight seriously injured and put Winnipeg’s crime problem atop national news headlines for the second time this month.

“How many people need to die before this NDP government stops coddling criminals, stops pointing fingers and finally gets tough on crime,” asks Progressive Conservative justice critic Gerald Hawranik.  “Consistently we’ve seen the NDP blame Ottawa for a crime problem that’s flourished under their watch but the reality is the Criminal Code is applied equally throughout the country. Why are we tops in crime? It’s clearly the provincial government’s problem to address.”

Progressive Conservatives have repeatedly pointed out that underfunding has caused backlogs in the court system, stresses on police resources and overcrowding in jails that have resulted in a revolving door justice system. As well, Hawranik points out the abandonment of a bait car program is a signal to auto thieves that their crimes aren’t taken seriously by the NDP government.

“Statistics Canada shows Winnipeg is tops in auto thefts, violent crime, Criminal Code offences, robberies and property crimes. I don’t know what more proof is needed for the NDP to pull their heads out of the sand and acknowledge that they’ve got a crime epidemic on their hands,” Hawranik said. “Manitobans need to ask why the premier and justice minister are M.I.A. as this unfolds.”

Winnipeg was labeled Canada’s 3rd most dangerous city in the March 12 issue of Maclean’s magazine. This weekend’s violence put the city atop national news for the second time including CTV’s and Global’s national newscasts and in newspapers including The Globe and Mail. Edmonton Sun and Victoria Times-Colonist.

“After eight years of this NDP regime, the only thing Manitoba is first at is crime. That’s Gary Doer’s legacy and Manitoba’s embarrassment,” Hawranik said.