Aylmer’s police chief is speaking out about repeat offenders getting out on bail and quickly reoffending saying it’s hurting public safety and trust in the system.
Chief Kyle Johnstone says officers are arresting the same people again and again, often within days. In many cases, these individuals are already facing serious charges and are caught with dangerous drugs like fentanyl.
“We’re seeing a troubling pattern where people with a history of crime are released and then break the rules of their release almost immediately,” Johnstone said. “That has a real impact in a small community like ours.”
He pointed to a recent case where a woman was charged in late May for threatening her landlord. After being released, she was arrested two more times within weeks each time breaching her bail conditions and carrying fentanyl.
Johnstone says cases like this make people in Aylmer question whether the justice system is really keeping them safe.
“These releases and the resulting re-victimization effects are felt even more in small communities,” he said.
He’s calling for a larger discussion about how bail is handled, especially when it comes to people with a known pattern of serious or repeated offences.
