Between 4,000 and 7,000 police officers from across Canada recently paid tribute to Maureen Breau, a police officer who died on duty following an intervention with a person struggling with a mental health problem.
The perpetrator of this crime had already been found not criminally responsible five times for acts of violence against other people. He had been released by the Mental Disorder Assessment Board despite reports indicating he posed a risk to public safety. Over the past year, several red lights had come on in the face of certain violent behavior by Mr. Brouillard-Lessard without the necessary measures being taken to protect him from himself and others.
Many are wondering: how could the system still fail and how is it that there is still a death?
Already last summer, the Mental Disorder Assessment Board released Abdullah Shaikh following a declaration of not criminally responsible for a minor case, but where reports indicated, here too, a high security risk. public. Mr. Shaikh had a history of violence and was awaiting criminal prosecution for other violent acts. Following his release, Mr. randomly killed three people in Montreal. Here too, several red lights were present.
During the events of last summer, we hammered home in several forums that in cases of not criminally responsible for offenses involving violence, the commission for the assessment of mental disorders does not consider only the psychiatric elements in the decision to release, but adds criminological elements to it. What are the criminogenic needs of these people and how, in concert, can we better protect communities?
Even if, unfortunately, we had to wait almost a year, other deaths and pressure from the police, we welcome with relief the fact that the government has finally decided to act and seek solutions in order to better supervise the release of certain people still considered dangerous. We hope that the public inquiry will provide solutions that will go beyond reaction.
In search of a fairer and more open society, the Professional Order of Criminologists of Quebec is a reference for the development and maintenance of an exemplary practice of criminologists so that the people who use their services regain power. on their life. The Order is reaching out to the government in a search for lasting solutions.