SAFETY IN NUMBERS
Rekha Gadhia of the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association says a new police partnership with social agencies is proving effective against the crisis of domestic violence in Calgary, which is on the rise amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Legislation created to help protect those at risk of domestic violence is expected to take effect later this year, but advocates are concerned over whether Alberta RCMP will uphold the law after Mounties said they’d abstain from participating in Saskatchewan.
The Disclosure to Protect Against Domestic Violence Act, also known as Clare’s Law, was passed in the Alberta legislature last October. It would allow victims, or potential victims, of domestic violence to find out if their partner has a violent or abusive past by obtaining information from police.
The legislation, which received royal assent but has yet to be proclaimed, is modelled after a 2014 law implemented in the U.K.
That law was named after Clare Wood, who was killed by her ex-boyfriend in 2009. Wood was unaware of her partner’s violent past, including that he served six years for holding a woman captive at knifepoint for 12 hours.
But RCMP in Saskatchewan said earlier this week it wouldn’t participate in that province’s version of Clare’s Law, which is set to come into force Monday.
Mounties said they had concerns because unlike municipal police services, the RCMP is subject to federal privacy legislation. Saskatchewan’s Justice Minister Don Morgan said he was “caught off guard” by the decision and warned it could put people in danger.
In Alberta, Mounties would not commit to participating in Clare’s Law.
Alberta RCMP spokesman Fraser Logan said Tuesday that “it’s too early to get into that type of discussion.”
But he said the RCMP has contributed to a working group formed in January “to assist in the development of the protocol which will govern the disclosure of information provided to victims of domestic violence by police.”
That working group, which has representation from every police service in Alberta, “will ensure that the application, assessment and disclosure processes are consistent across the province,” Logan said in a statement.
The uncertainty surrounding the RCMP’S participation is “concerning,” according to Andrea Silverstone, executive director of Sagesse, which delivers programs and services to address domestic violence in Alberta.
“I would like to have their full commitment. I would like to see a full partner in ending and addressing domestic violence across the province,” she said.
“They play a really important role. They’re often the first responder and the only responder in domestic violence incidences in rural and remote communities.”
Silverstone said Clare’s Law would not only provide those at risk of violence or abuse with vital information about their partners, but also create an “entry point” into services and supports.
Without the RCMP’S participation, those in communities often underserved by supports for victims of domestic violence would also be worse off.
“We know that already in rural and remote communities it’s harder to get access to services, so why would we make it even harder?” said Silverstone.
“It would further enforce the divide that already exists and mean that your postal code determines the level of service that you get, not your need. That’s inequitable and wrong.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for Alberta’s Justice Minister and Solicitor General Doug Schweitzer said the government expects all police agencies in the province to be on board.
“The government campaigned on a promise to protect women from domestic violence. Clare’s Law was the centrepiece of our commitment to better protect vulnerable women,” said Jonah Mozeson.
“After passing through the Legislative Assembly, the government is continuing its work with survivors and families prior to proclaiming it as law. Regarding enforcement, while the government does not speculate on hypotheticals, we fully expect all law enforcement to uphold the law.”
Kim Ruse, CEO of the Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter, said Clare’s Law puts “control” in the hands of victims, “in a way that they can take a more active role.
“As many tools as we can give people as possible to prevent family violence and abuse is really, really critical,” Ruse said.
“We know from our work in the community that often abusers will repeat that pattern, and so this law gives people the tools to be able to stop that from happening to them.”
Ruse said the need for Clare’s Law is “quite urgent,” especially with domestic violence indicators on the rise during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Silverstone said calls to domestic violence help lines have been up close to 50 per cent during the pandemic, while Sagesse has seen a 200 per cent uptick in interest for its Real Talk workshop, which provides tools for friends and family to support loved ones experiencing domestic violence.
“The need is there,” she said. “Rates of domestic violence are going to skyrocket and they’re probably going to stay that way for at least a few years.”