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Barrhead Community VSU has concerns over Bill 16

VSU program manager Heidi Magus says VSUs are concerned about the government taking money from the Victim of Crime Fund to pay for other crime reduction initiatives
Heidi Magus
Barrhead Community Victim Services Unit program manager Heidi Magus, pictured here at a 2018 Town of Barrhead council meeting, said she has concerns that Bill 16 will leave little money in the Victims of Crimes Fund to allow organizations like hers to continue to serve clients.

BARRHEAD-The Barrhead Community Victim Services Unit (VSU) has some serious concerns about the province's proposed Bill 16, a.k.a. Victims of Crime Amendment Act.

That is what program manager Heidi Magus told County of Barrhead councillors during their June 16 meeting.

Magus appeared before the council to give her annual report.

The VSU is a non-profit organization that helps support individuals who are the victims of crime, trauma, death or other emergencies in the Barrhead, Swan Hills and Fort Assiniboine regions. Most often the VSU volunteers, or volunteer advocates, are called upon at the request of the RCMP, but also receive referrals from fire services, the Crown Prosecutor’s office, healthcare centres, and ambulance crews.

The act, if passed, would allow the province to access money from the Victims of Crime Fund. The United Conservative Party (UCP) proposes to use the money to support preventative measures through the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT), the Rural Alberta Provincial Integrated Defence (RAPID) Force, drug treatment courts and the hiring of more Crown prosecutors.

"As great and fantastic as those organizations are we fear that the Victims of Crime Fund will be depleted very quickly," she said. 

The fund comes from provincial fine surcharges imposed following convictions to help crime victims through financial relief and support programs, many of them being provided through local victim support units. The fund is estimated to be in the range of $74 million partly due to a recent increase. In April, the surcharge was increased from 15 to 20 per cent.

She said once the bill passes, Magus suspects the government will move quickly to access the fund to pay for its initiatives.

Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer said the province contemplated making the changes after 2019's rural crime consultations.

"Our government has heard loud and clear from Albertans that they are frustrated with a justice system that does not make them feel safe, secure and protected in their communities," he stated in a media release in late May. "We are ensuring that we provide the system with the tools and resources it needs to prevent Albertans from being victimized, and provide victims with timely support and the assurance that the perpetrators of crime will be brought to justice." 

However, Magus said VSU's were not consulted before the UCP introduced the legislation, which has passed second reading.

"We did have a meeting with our MLA [Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock UCP Glenn van Dijken] and he told us it was a done deal," she said.

In addition to the legislation, the UCP plans to wind down the Criminal Injury Review Board (CIRB). CIRB is an independent body established under the Victims of Crime Act to conduct an impartial review of decisions made under the Victims of Crime Financial Benefits Program.

The government has established a working group co-chaired by Grande Prairie MLA Tracy Allard and Airdrie MLA Angela Pitt, to review the financial benefits program and consult on the creation of a new victim’s assistance model that will be launched in 2021.

The Barrhead Community VSU has requested to be part of the working group.

"We are not sure what that will mean for [victim services units. Usually, get three-year grants. But now most units are getting one-year grants and there have been a couple of units closed down in last year [2019]," she said. "So we are not feeling very optimistic or loved by the government."

Magus also wonders if Bill 16 and the hiring of extra prosecutors, police, et cetera will have the impact the government hopes.
"If changes are not made to the judicial system, adding 1,000 police officer or Crown prosecutors isn't going to change much," she said. "The changes have to come from the [justices of the peace]. So when people accused of crimes go for a judicial review hearing they are remanded and stay in jail until their trial."

Barrhead VSU 2019 numbers

The Barrhead VSU is comprised of a nine-person board and five victim advocates, all of which are volunteers. The VSU is further augmented by 25 general volunteers.

In 2019, Magus noted the unit created 170 new files, an increase of 34 from 2018. Of those files, 23 were crisis callouts. 

COVID-19

Unfortunately, Magus said the coronavirus has meant VSU victim advocates are no longer responding to crisis calls outs, on a province-wide basis.

She added that doesn't mean VSU will not respond to people in crisis, it just means other accommodations are made. Magus added VSU staff and volunteers are doing as much as possible from home and if they do have to go to their office, which is in the Barrhead RCMP Detachment, that they do so in the evenings or weekends.

"We are not included in any of those phases [Alberta COVID-19 economic recovery plan]," Magus said. "All we can do is go week-by-week to see if there are any changes announced by Alberta Health Services."

Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com

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Barry Kerton

About the Author: Barry Kerton

Barry Kerton is the managing editor of the Barrhead Leader, joining the paper in 2014. He covers news, municipal politics and sports.
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