Winnipeg, Man. (October 12, 2022) - For four years on Winnipeg City Council I have been advocating to prioritize and urgently address crime. I decided to enter the Mayoral race because, after a full review, I saw no candidate with the ability to tackle crime and make it a priority. As Mayor, addressing crime is my number one priority.
I am not suddenly changing my message due to polling like all other candidates. I am not surprised other candidates are copying my approach and using what I have said many times about crime since entering the race. Voters recognize that I am the only candidate who will get tough on crime and that is why I’m leading.
Murray said he would be eliminating the Police Helicopter. Gillingham’s plan is Bowman 2.0, virtue signaling with no actionable substance.
People deserve to feel safe in our city, at the Forks, on a bus, or waiting for a bus in a transit shelter.
I will ensure every nickel in the Police Budget is used to allocate resources to our streets. “Everyone with a gun and a badge needs to be out in force tackling crime, not behind desks.”
The Winnipeg Police pay millions back to the City of Winnipeg to prop up other departments, that ends when I am Mayor. The millions of dollars siphoned back by EPC to the city will be used to put our police compliment back to 2019 levels. As I have committed previously, we will ask for Sheriffs in hospitals or assign cadets to emergency rooms allowing officers back on the street.
Klein said, “I am not suggesting police need more funding, we cannot afford more taxes like other candidates are promising. I am suggesting that better management and allocation of the funds they receive will tackle crime in our community."
My plan is to work smarter and within our budget.
Working Smarter means:
Directing resources to priority tasks - adding sheriffs or cadets to Emergency Rooms
Supporting successful programs like Alternative Response to Citizens in Crisis to provide mental health, addiction and social work services
Cadets writing reports so officers with guns and badges can be patrolling the streets
Coordinating officers closer to the communities they patrol to reduce fuel costs and travel time and increase response time
Direct the Police Board to work with the Police Service to review the opportunity to add civilian support staff to similar levels of other jurisdictions and to assume administrative work and get police officers back on the street.
Policing Budget
For information on police budgeting, please refer to the article on Community Safety and Policing.