They Came With Guns and Masks Politicians Came With Excuses.

They came with guns and masks. That’s what RCMP are telling us about the criminals who targeted multiple rural properties in Manitoba early Sunday morning.

They broke into garages and outbuildings. They stole ATVs, power tools, even a truck. Witnesses believe they were armed. A 17-year-old girl was arrested hours later, alone in a vehicle. The rest are still out there.

This is not a story from a movie. This is rural Manitoba. This is happening here.

And let’s be honest — it’s not rare anymore. Crime is no longer confined to certain streets in downtown Winnipeg. It’s spilling out into suburbs, farms, businesses, and hospitals.

While Ottawa talks about everything but crime, Canadians are locking their doors in broad daylight.

A few days before these rural break-ins, we published another troubling report: a high-risk sex offender — deemed likely to re-offend — was quietly released back into Winnipeg. No tracking bracelet. No warning beyond a press release. A known predator, with a history, back on our streets.

Ask yourself: how is this acceptable?

Violent crime in our country is spiralling out of control, and the federal government has done next to nothing about it. For nine years, they’ve offered only lip service. They’ve built narratives, not solutions. They’ve given press conferences, not protection.

We hear lots about “root causes.” We hear lots about being “compassionate.” But when a known sex offender is walking free and our police are arresting the same people over and over again, what kind of compassion is that — and for whom?

We are failing Canadians.

Our streets are not safe. Our transit system is dangerous. Police tell me a transit security officer was recently assaulted — and no one blinked. Why? Because it’s become routine.

People are being stabbed in daylight. Nurses are attacked in hospitals. Thieves walk out of grocery stores with full carts of food and there are no consequences. And yes, thefts like these contribute to rising food prices — costs passed directly to the honest people who do pay.

This is lawlessness. It is a failure of leadership, of policy, and of courage.

The federal government has allowed our justice system to crumble. The catch-and-release bail system puts violent offenders back on the streets before officers finish the paperwork. Cases get tossed because there aren’t enough judges. Charges are stayed because of delays.

Here’s the truth they don’t want to say out loud: we need more police. We need more judges. We need real, mandatory treatment programs. And we need to hold people accountable — regardless of their background, their heritage, or their story.

Justice must be blind, not selective.

If someone commits a violent crime, they should be in jail. If someone is a risk to re-offend, they should not be quietly released without supervision. If someone struggles with addiction or trauma, they should get help — but not at the expense of public safety.

This is what leadership looks like. It’s not about slogans or signs. It’s about protecting people.

My family lives here. My grandchildren live here. Like many of you, I want this province, my country to thrive — to grow, to attract investment, to feel safe. But none of that is possible if we don’t get crime under control.

Right now, we’re not just losing that battle — we’re not even fighting it.

Ask yourself: When was the last time you heard the federal government talk seriously about violent crime? About hiring more police? About overhauling bail laws? About building a justice system that protects victims instead of tiptoeing around repeat offenders?

The silence is deafening.

We have an election coming. And this time, we cannot afford to let it be about distractions.

This time, it has to be about priorities — and nothing matters more than safety.

It’s time to stop pretending that crime is someone else’s problem. It’s in our neighbourhoods. It’s at our grocery stores. It’s waiting for a bus. It’s on our farms.

As the former Chair of the Winnipeg Police Board, I’ve sat at tables with victims. I’ve listened to police officers on the front lines. I’ve heard the frustration in their voices, the fatigue in their words. They know the system is broken. They want to fix it. But they can’t do it alone.

They need political will. They need backup. They need us.

I’m not interested in platitudes. I’m interested in solutions.

Hire more officers. Appoint more judges. Make treatment mandatory when it’s needed — and jail mandatory when it’s deserved. Build real deterrents. And most of all, stop letting ideology get in the way of common sense.

Canadians are reasonable people. We believe in second chances. We believe in compassion. But we also believe in consequences.

It’s time our leaders caught up.

Because if we don’t take back control of our communities now, we may not recognize them tomorrow.

Let’s make crime, justice, and public safety the issue this election.

Not because it’s convenient — but because it’s urgent.

Because the guns, the masks, the break-ins, the stabbings, the assaults — they’re all telling us something.

And the question is, who’s listening?