Former Crown attorney says Sask. stabbings example of systemic justice issue

Following the stabbing rampage in Saskatchewan earlier this month, criticisms about the justice system and the handling of repeat offenders have arisen.

Scott Newark — a former Alberta Crown attorney, former senior policy advisor to a federal Minister of Public Safety and executive director of the Canadian Police Association — told Roy Green on Sunday that it’s important to “delve into” situations like the stabbings on James Smith Cree Nation.

Calling the situation with Myles Sanderson an example of “systemic disconnect,” Newark said the arrest warrant that was out for Sanderson at the time when the stabbings happened was issued by the corrections and parole system. However, Newark said it’s up to police or RCMP to enforce those warrants.

He says Saskatchewan law enforcement officials have admitted that Sanderson’s capture was not a top priority.

“His record was unbelievable,” Newark said, referencing “dozens of incidents” where Sanderson had breached his conditions.

Newark also referenced the shooter responsible for killing a Toronto police officer early last week.

“This is a guy who was literally a career criminal and he had a long, long history of crime, including breaching his release conditions,” he explained.

The pattern of crime being committed by previous offenders is a consistent one, Newark said.

“He’s (Sean Petrie) a demonstration of the reality of jour justice system that a disproportionately large amount of crime is committed by a disproportionately small number of offenders,” Newark said. 

Over the past 10 to 15 years, Newark said the system has made progress in this “terrible mistake,” by targeting high-risk and repeat offenders more. 

However, Newark raised concerns about significant public impact and undermining the public confidence when approaches to offenders focus on release and keeping individuals out of jail, instead of honing in on dangerous offenders.

(With files from Libby Giesbrecht)