Criminal Code adjustments welcomed by area police

Recent changes to the Criminal Code that give police new powers to fight organized crime will not mean investigators can tap people’s phone lines at will, says this region’s OPP organized crime operations manager.

Justice Minister Rob Nicholson announced changes to the Criminal Code Wednesday and told reporters that the definition of serious crimes would be broadened to include common activities used to finance organized crime. The changes also give police more power to conduct wiretaps and other investigative measures.

Det. Staff Sgt. Chris Lawrence, operations manager for the OPP Northwest region organized crime enforcement bureau, said the added investigative powers do not mean police can automatically listening in on conversations via wiretaps.

The Justice Ministers changes do mean that police can proceed through the court system quicker, Lawrence said.

"The fact that we can consider (these offences) as serious crimes gives us more options to lay criminal charges, which carries different sentences," Lawrence said. "The addition is certainly a benefit to police. There are many hoops that police have to jump through to obtain a wiretap. I think the public can be rest assured that we have to do our due diligence in justifying that to the courts."

Lawrence said the process to get a wiretap is still lengthy. Traditionally a judge needed to see that all other resources to gather information have been used and failed before receiving approval for the wiretap.

However, a criminal organization investigation doesn’t need to go through this kind of process.

Lawrence said criminal organizations have some knowledge of how police gather information, which makes it difficult for police to get information without a wiretap.

Thunder Bay Police Service Deputy Chief J.P. Levesque said he welcomed any change that helped police investigate criminal organizations.

"In principal it appears to be a good thing for policing," Levesque said. "But, until we see the mechanics, we’ll have to wait and see what all of this entails. We’re being told that it will be easier to obtain a warrant. If that is indeed the case, we certainly applaud that in the policing world."

Levesque said he was somewhat surprised by how quickly the changes were made.
Through an executive decision from the federal cabinet, the enactment will not require a parliamentary vote.

Importing, exporting or production of certain scheduled drugs.

With files from the Canadian Press.