“I want Manitoba families to feel safe to go anywhere in our province. And we’re going to partner again with the frontline police officers who are out there doing incredible work every day,” said Premier Heather Stephenson. “That was my message the other day.” Stefanson tweeted Tuesday that she was “very concerned about Smith’s comments” about the recent criminal events. In a press release later that day, he said he spoke with police union chief Moe Sabourin and “we both agreed that these incidents cannot be the new normal in Winnipeg.” Last Friday, after a string of stabbings and robberies in The Forks, Smyth said the violence is “not new” and that calls for service in that part of town are consistent with past trends and relatively low in overall picture of crime in Winnipeg. “What I don’t want is for these activities to take place in our province to be normalized. What I want is to send a message to Manitobans that it’s safe to go out there,” Stephenson said Thursday, a day after police shot a man. who allegedly pointed a rifle at them in Winnipeg’s Osborne Village neighborhood. Asked if she was concerned about his ability to lead the police, Stefanson said “no, I’m concerned about the message being sent as a result of his comments normalizing this type of activity, this violent activity in Winnipeg. “This is not the kind of activity we will ever normalize.” Stefanson insists she is not trying to undermine Smyth, obstruct the police department’s operations or try to influence any bargaining efforts by the union that is hoping for more resources in the city. “I don’t interfere in any of these areas. I think it’s inappropriate to interfere in any area of ​​negotiation. But the right thing to do is say it, and I’ve said it to frontline health workers … we support you” , he said. Stephenson, who was in British Columbia meeting with the country’s other premiers when Smythe made his comments and she tweeted her response, said she has yet to meet the leader in person. “We’ll have a conversation at some point,” he said. The provincial government will also soon release a homelessness strategy and attempt to address other social issues that contribute to crime. “We talked about mental health and addictions and some of the supports we’ve put in those areas,” Stefanson said. “Criminal activity doesn’t continue to take place.”

title: “Manitoba Premier Defends Criticism Of Winnipeg Police Chief S Comments " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-15” author: “Robert Nevins”

“I want Manitoba families to feel safe to go anywhere in our province. And we’re going to partner again with the frontline police officers who are out there doing incredible work every day,” said Premier Heather Stephenson. “That was my message the other day.” Stefanson tweeted Tuesday that she was “very concerned about Smith’s comments” about the recent criminal events. In a press release later that day, he said he spoke with police union chief Moe Sabourin and “we both agreed that these incidents cannot be the new normal in Winnipeg.” Last Friday, after a string of stabbings and robberies in The Forks, Smyth said the violence is “not new” and that calls for service in that part of town are consistent with past trends and relatively low in overall picture of crime in Winnipeg. “What I don’t want is for these activities to take place in our province to be normalized. What I want is to send a message to Manitobans that it’s safe to go out there,” Stephenson said Thursday, a day after police shot a man. who allegedly pointed a rifle at them in Winnipeg’s Osborne Village neighborhood. Asked if she was concerned about his ability to lead the police, Stefanson said “no, I’m concerned about the message being sent as a result of his comments normalizing this type of activity, this violent activity in Winnipeg. “This is not the kind of activity we will ever normalize.” Stefanson insists she is not trying to undermine Smyth, obstruct the police department’s operations or try to influence any bargaining efforts by the union that is hoping for more resources in the city. “I don’t interfere in any of these areas. I think it’s inappropriate to interfere in any area of ​​negotiation. But the right thing to do is say it, and I’ve said it to frontline health workers … we support you” , he said. Stephenson, who was in British Columbia meeting with the country’s other premiers when Smythe made his comments and she tweeted her response, said she has yet to meet the leader in person. “We’ll have a conversation at some point,” he said. The provincial government will also soon release a homelessness strategy and attempt to address other social issues that contribute to crime. “We talked about mental health and addictions and some of the supports we’ve put in those areas,” Stefanson said. “Criminal activity doesn’t continue to take place.”