Ban repeat criminal offenders from designated public red zones

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theQuestion: Should repeat criminal offenders be banned from designated public red-zones?*

It is nauseating to witness the left’s well-trodden cult-like adoration for the vulnerable, especially when those deemed vulnerable are habitual criminal offenders. This reverence is misguided as the truly vulnerable are the victims of crime, not the criminals themselves.

Protecting the public and property from repeat criminal attack is a maddening task for law enforcement as the revolving door of the justice system keeps funnelling criminal parasites back into our communities. One plan to deal with this issue is the creation of red zones, which are geographical areas designated within a community—for example a town centre—where police have a legal tool to arrest a repeat offender due to past criminal behaviour related to that area. This is precisely the plan championed by Ridge Meadows RCMP and supported by Maple Ridge Mayor Nicole Read.

If a repeat offender is caught doing crime in Maple Ridge town centre, police or the court could issue an order barring that person from returning to the red-zone as a condition of release. RCMP Supt. Dave Fleugel says it’s only one tool to keep “the vultures and drug dealers…away from our vulnerable people.” It’s a great plan everyone should support. But, this is not the case as Canada is by-and-large soft on crime and left-wing ideologues religiously believe it’s unfair to punish criminals or to infringe an offender’s civil liberties.

The left produces a dizzying array of excuses for why offenders should not be prosecuted or when brought to account why the justice system should treat the accused’s rights as more important than the victims. They argue priority must be given to compassion, discretion, understanding, leniency and rehabilitation—nowhere in this list is retribution.

My Duel colleague attempts to de-legitimize law enforcement efforts to prevent repeat crime. Petr refers to the Maple Ridge red-zone as “displacing loiterers and petty criminals” and cautions city leaders to “carefully reflect on the message” sent to citizens on “how to treat the vulnerable.” What nonsense. The vulnerable are the victims of crime, not the parasitic drug dealers and wasted hard-core drug addicts that present a clear and present danger to the welfare of the community.

Before an accused is tried and after a sentence is served, courts routinely order as condition of release no-go zones around schools and parks for sexual offenders and no contact orders for domestic assault and stalking cases. It should be no different for prolific thieves, drug traffickers and drug abusers.

*First published in 24hrs Vancouver ‘theDuel’

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