Dear Editor
I can't believe what I just saw on the CBC news. The government of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia are actually requiring police officers to appear on behalf of the Crown at bail hearings. This has to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard.
Police are trained in law enforcement. They are not trained as lawyers. The defendant has an actual lawyer there on their behalf, but the Crown depends on untrained police officers to represent them.
This is putting police officers in a losing position from the start. What kind of government expects police to now act as lawyers? No wonder these defendants are getting off with low bail when the Crown is at a disadvantage from the start.
I am sure the officers don't want to be there and we should not expect them to be in that position.
Is this government, with its cut, cut and cut some more, actually cutting the Crown attorney's office as well. Do the people of this province realize this is putting the population in jeopardy by allowing some of these criminals out with low bail because the Crown can't afford to send an actual attorney to the bail hearing?
Premier Wall, you have gone way to far this time.
You have probably already lost the support of the police in the province by putting them in a position where they should never be. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Doug Cuming
North Battleford
