Thunder Bay endured six homicides in 2012.
Pending recovery in hospital, that number could grow as high as eight. In all likelihood, the city will regain the title of Canada’s murder capital.
This sounds bad, and it is.
One death is too many and six says we have a problem.
But what the numbers don’t immediately disclose is the nature of the murders in this city.
None of the murders happened on the streets.This isn’t random violence. No, it’s a sign of a much deeper-rooted problem, particularly in the Aboriginal community.
Most of the homicides in Thunder Bay last year were Aboriginal on Aboriginal, and most involved substance abuse of some sort. And there lies the problem.
Police Chief J.P. Levesque is right. The police can’t do it all. Nothing they do, in all likelihood, would have prevented any of the six deaths, one of which occurred inside the walls of the correctional centre.
Enough with the talk. Enough with the endless committees.
It’s time to solve the underlying social issues that are leading to so many murders. It’s time to wipe the addiction slate clean and put effective measures in place that ensure the majority of the abuse disappears for good.
The murder rate, we guess, will drop accordingly.
