The province’s justice minister is defending his stance on how government is addressing a rise in serious and violent crime in the Conception Bay North area.
PC Opposition critic Helen Conway-Ottenheimer called John Hogan’s response to crime rates in the region “dismissive” and “uncaring.”
But Hogan shot back, calling that view “totally inaccurate” and not based on fact.
Hogan notes there are 14 front-line officers in Harbour Grace and 12 in Bay Roberts.
He points to several initiatives over the last few years to improve policing in the province such as increasing the budgets for the RCMP and RNC, changes to police jurisdictions on the west coast, as well as a task force and 10-person team within the department to assess policing in the province.
“It’s just incorrect for those comments to come from Ms. Conway-Ottenheimer about I have, and how the department and this government has viewed policing and crime rates in this province,” said the minister.
