A new Winnipeg Police Service unit focused on tracking down and arresting people who violate their bail conditions is now up and running, with hundreds of offenders either arrested or now facing warrants for non-compliance. Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe announced Tuesday that the bail compliance unit, made up of 12 police officers, began operating on Dec. 15 last year and focuses on ensuring high-risk offenders are abiding by their bail conditions. Deputy Chief Cam Mackid said within less than three months since the unit kicked off, 922 compliance checks and wanted person checks were conducted at residences throughout the city. As a result, the unit made 109 arrests, and an additional 227 arrest warrants were made for non-compliance of bail conditions. “Our bail compliance unit has quickly become a very high-performing, proactive unit that’s having a very real, tangible impact on public safety in our community,” Mackid said. He said the unit is targeting a broad spectrum of offenders, such as sex offenders, people who commit intimate partner violence, and those who trafficked drugs and firearms. “For too long, a small number of violent repeat offenders have taken advantage of gaps in the system, cycling in and out, breaching their bail conditions and undermining confidence in the justice system,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham. Gillingham commended the unit for turning reform efforts into tangible action on the ground. The unit is also equipped with a real-time dashboard, accessible from police cruisers, to assist officers on compliance checks. “It provides immediate visibility into accused persons released on bail, probation and parole, and allows the (unit’s) members to prioritize enforcement activity in a data-informed, intelligence-led, and evidence-based manner,” said David Bowman, director of the WPS organizational development and support division. “Officers can sort and prioritize by district or neighbourhood, ensuring compliance checks align with local public safety concerns,” Bowman said. The province has allocated $3 million to support the unit.
