Red Deer Mayor Tara Veer.

By Sheldon Spackman

new courthouse on the way

Veer pushes for more Crown prosecutors for Red Deer

Sep 27, 2019 | 11:44 AM

Ahead of the upcoming provincial budget, Red Deer’s mayor is calling on the Alberta government to help ensure the city receives its fair share of additional Crown prosecutors.

In a letter sent to Premier Jason Kenney on Sept. 11, Tara Veer points out that community safety is the top priority for The City of Red Deer, council and residents.

Veer notes R. v. Jordan establishes a need to guarantee timely justice thresholds are met.

“Our local RCMP members do their best to ensure the viability of charges, but we are concerned that local Crown prosecutors need to ‘triage’ cases to adhere to the Jordan standard,” wrote Veer. “The City of Red Deer supports your commitment to hiring 50 new Crown prosecutors for our province.”

With construction of a new Red Deer Justice Centre on 49 Street expected to start next year, Veer anticipates the facility will expand Red Deer’s ability in meeting future justice needs in the community.

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“With the upward trend in crimes committed, lack of local prosecution capacity and increases in rural cases, there is a high caseload per prosecutor in Red Deer,” says Veer. “For these reasons, we are requesting the allocation of new Crown prosecutors for Red Deer to ensure the immediate justice needs of our residents and region are met, and in preparation for the opening of the expanded Justice Centre in the near future.”

In a written statement provided to rdnewsNOW, Carla Jones, communications advisor for Justice Minister and Solicitor General Doug Schweitzer, says Albertans deserve a better justice system that protects them, their loved ones and their property.

“Our government committed to spend $10 million to hire 50 new Crown prosecutors and support staff,” says Jones. “Hiring new Crown prosecutors will help increase the safety of Albertans with a fairer, faster and more responsive justice system. The Alberta Crown Prosecution Service has not yet determined where these new Crown prosecutors will be located. Those decisions will be finalized following the release of Budget 2019-20.”

As site preparation work continues on Red Deer’s new Justice Centre, Minister of Infrastructure Prasad Panda says he expects the project to be tendered in winter of 2020 and construction complete by summer of 2023.

The province has $181 million allocated for the project over five years.

“Site preparation work is nearing completion and the next step will be the project construction tender,” explains Panda. “Once construction is over, the new Justice Centre will provide 12 courtrooms upon completion and with original capacity to expand up to 16 total courtrooms. There’s definitely a need for that critical infrastructure in Red Deer.”

When it comes to Red Deer’s historic Parsons House at 49 Street and 48 Avenue, Panda says it’s unclear how the Municipal Historic Resource built in 1903 will be used once the new Justice Centre is built.

“As you know, the Government of Alberta purchased the properties not just from the City of Red Deer, but also a private landowner for the new courthouse in 2018,” recalls Panda. “We know that Parsons House is a Municipal Historic Resource located on one of the sections of the lands that was purchased for the project. We also recognize the heritage value and importance of Parson’s House and we are supportive of its continued designation as a Municipal Historic Resource.”

Panda affirms that Red Deer’s new Justice Centre is already approved and will not be impacted by next month’s provincial budget.

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