Everyone suddenly wants to get tough on crime. The impulse is understandable. And a get-tough approach, starting with stricter bail conditions, may be able to reduce some crimes and deter some criminals. But on the issue that most Canadians are worried about – random stranger attacks – what we really need is less tough talk, and more hard thinking.Consider the case of Jordan O’Brien-Tobin.
But dig deeper, and another story starts to emerge. According to the Star’s reporting, Mr. O’Brien-Tobin was addicted to MDMA, cocaine and Xanax, and taking prescriptions for psychosis, depression, anxiety, night terrors and an addiction to opioids. He was also often homeless. He grew up in an abusive home, was diagnosed at an early age with developmental and behavioural issues, and lived in a group home from the age of 11 to 17.
Not all crime in Canada is caused by these issues. For example, Canada is experiencing a wave of car thefts. In Toronto, nearly 10,000 cars were stolen in 2022 – up roughly 200 per cent since the mid-2010s – and thefts are rising again this year. This is organized crime, committed by gangs using high-tech techniques to steal cars and ship them overseas. It is precisely the sort of crime that more and better policing can tackle, and that longer and stronger sentences might deter. .