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Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police
Statement on the Release of Violent Offenders on Firearms-related Charges and
the Impact on Community Safety
December 29, 2022
On behalf of police leaders across Ontario, the Board of Directors of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) expresses its condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Provincial Constable Grzegorz Pierzchala, who was recently murdered during a tragic, disturbing, and preventable event that deeply touched police professionals and citizens in our province.
As we have done so often over the past few months, the members of Ontario’s police services have had to come together again to support one another as a result of a senseless tragedy; police officers, their families and loved ones, and the communities they serve have had to face incredible and unthinkable grief due to firearm-related violence. Moreover, such acts of violence all too often result in significant harm to members of the public. These acts, which have also included victims of intimate partner violence and hate-based crimes, are often perpetrated by individuals with previous offences for violent crimes and previous convictions for firearms offences.
In many cases where the accused was on pre-trial release for an allegation of violence or firearms offences, the subsequent offences were completely preventable. As Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Thomas Carrique, a member of the OACP Board of Directors, observed, “something needs to change.” Further, the Commissioner captured the sentiments of all police members when he noted that, “Our police officers, your police officers, my police officers, the public deserve to be safeguarded against violent offenders who are charged with firearms-related offences.”
The OACP recognizes that all justice sector partners share our goal of promoting community safety for every individual in Ontario. We believe these partners also want a justice system that is responsive to the needs of our many diverse communities.
Our association has and will continue to advocate for legislative reforms, including the bail process involving violent repeat offenders and violent firearms crimes. That is why the OACP is calling on justice multi-sector partners – government, law enforcement, and justice groups – to come together in a collaborative manner to ensure that we make communities safe and keep them safe. Moreover, we also want to unequivocally state that the time for action on legislative reform is now.
Our police community is currently in the process of mourning the loss of a young officer and preparing to honour his life and sacrifice. At the appropriate time, we will be proposing specific legislative amendments related to firearms and violent crimes with a view to working with government and other justice partners to make our communities safer.
Chief Nishan Duraiappah
President, Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police
Media Inquiries:
José Luís (Joe) Couto
Director of Government Relations and Communications
Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police – Ontario’s Police Leaders
416-919-9798
jcouto@oacp.ca
Twitter: @OACPOfficial
Instagram: oacpofficial
www.oacp.ca
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