‘It needs to stop’: Beausejour mayor calls for change amid crime spike

The mayor of Beausejour says repeat criminals are being released to Manitoba Housing in his community, and crime has spiked. CTV’s Jeff Keele has more.

The mayor of Beausejour says crime in his town has increased in recent months—and it needs to stop.

“Right from home invasions to vehicles being broken into, drugs, trafficking, stuff like that in our community and we’re not happy about it,” said Ray Schirle, mayor of the town northeast of Winnipeg.

Schirle said the town has been dealing with repeat offenders like other cities and towns. Many, he added, are either on bail or under house arrest and are taking up residence in the town’s stock of Manitoba Housing.

Since then, Schirle’s said he noticed an increase in crime.

“Four to five percent of bad housing in our community and I mean from drug dealers living in them to thieves, and I’m getting tired of our ratepayers paying for this service and causing crime in our community,” he said.

One of the offenders came from as far away as Ontario, said Schirle.

Just last month, multiple items were stolen from Vickie’s Snack Bar in Beausejour after a break-in, according to Joyce Martin, the restaurant’s cook. The nighttime burglary also resulted in food and the cash box being stolen.

Schirle wants to know why the courts are releasing offenders to Beausejour and who is monitoring them.

A statement from Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said Manitobans deserve to feel safe in their community.

“Manitoba Housing has met with town officials to address this issue and next month, we’re meeting again with the Town of Beausejour to address their concerns to work towards a solution,” the statement said.

Schirle said some progress has been made, including RCMP helping to shut down a problem house in town, which is now boarded up. However, he said officers can only do so much.

“Our officers have been going right around the clock,” he said.

Schirle has sent letters to the province’s justice and housing minister asking for a meeting.