More than 400 police files since 2016, and now Justin Collins is facing three new charges.
Collins was back in court Tuesday, charged with one count of committing an indecent act in public and one count of mischief, both stemming from Feb. 16. A third mischief charge is tied to an incident on March 3. He was released on bail set at $250, with conditions.
“Beyond infuriating when you read something like that, and you’re like, ‘Are you kidding me,’” said Kristina Loewen, BC Conservative MLA for Kelowna Centre.
Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas says bail decisions are based on specific legal criteria, but he questions how Collins was released, based on his history.
“For a judge to look at granting bail for an individual, they have to say that the individual will not commit any more crimes, that they will show up for court, and that there is a level of comfort that there is not a safety risk to the community,” Dyas said.
Collins has a lengthy criminal history, including charges related to assault, robbery and mischief. In total, he has faced 64 charges over the past decade. His record also prompted a rare public warning from Kelowna RCMP in 2022.
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“Four hundred police files, I don’t know what the number is where it gets to the point where it’s serious enough that they are going to deal with it properly,” Dyas added.
Frustration is growing among some officials, as Collins, described by some as a prominent example of catch-and-release, is once again back in the community.
Loewen says opposition politicians at both the provincial and federal levels are pushing for changes to bail laws.
“I just was back in Ottawa speaking to Bill C-14 and Bill C-42, that we need tougher laws around bail reform and repeat offenders,” Dyas said.
In a statement, B.C.’s attorney general pointed to the province’s repeat violent offending intervention initiative, saying it has shown strong results.
“The Province’s repeat violent-offending program (ReVOII) has also shown strong results, with an evaluation shows 50% fewer police interactions involving accused individuals and faster charge approvals for high-risk violent offenders,” said the ministry.
“Building on ReVOII’s early success, the Province is expanding a similar initiative, Chronic Property Offending Intervention Initiative (C‑POII), provincewide with $16 million over two years to address persistent property and public‑disorder offending.”
Collins is back in court on March 31.
“As politicians in the opposition, both in our province and across the country, are fighting for changes to federal and provincial laws,” said Loewen.
The Canadian justice system doesn’t work for us, they just persecute us for going to work and paying our taxes. These dangerous criminals will never be anything but a burden on society yet they do no wrong.
This judge and the ones before him that allowed this poor immitation of a human free should be put in jail until they pay for all the crimes this animal commited while on bail!! Disgusting….What kind of law is this?? The law of the jungle??
why do any of us bother to work anymore when there are so many resources for addicts….f$&@en wet housing JFC
Why?
This man needs to be held accountable for his actions!
This is beyond outrageous!
Consentration camps for criminals like him. Jail is to soft these days
Human rights only appear to matter if your the person violating everyone else’s rights.
Judges should be held accountable for their decisions when people they release reoffend. Disbar!
Next time when he commits crime he should go to the home arrest to this judge that set him on free bail
Just goes to show our judges have no clue bout the real wolds, shame on you
Lets hold the judge accountable when this guy breaks the law again
Should start holding the judges accountable for the crimes committed as a result of their bad judgement to release them.
The laws only apply if you are a decent working person. If you decide not to work, live off the system, and do not care about laws you can do what ever you want with less than a slap on the wrist. Repeat offenders, say 10 or more crimes in a ten year period, you go directly to jail for two years plus a day. No release for good behavior because you have shown No Good Behavior in the past. Next conviction is 3 years…… and so on.
they kill horses don’t they?
The interior needs a Remand Centre to put these prolific offenders to sit and wait trial, like in Surrey. Off the streets until their trial.
What this says is another failed NDP experiment they can’t dig their way out of, bye shutting prisons down to save money. How’s that working out? $160 billion in the hole for a population of 5 million and nothing to show for it except higher taxes and a lower living standards for all.
It a shame the people like Eby and lawyers and others make excuses for these people. What happened to do the crime do the time. Judges say president been set, well get a back bone and set your own president. The politicians lawyers are a complete parasite on society
The laws are what judges follow. If every judge decided what they thought was correct without a set of standard guidelines it would be a chaotic and worthless system. This system does need an overhaul, that does not include voting in judges, that is just a massive error
So Bail has been set at half Milwaukee pack out or a brand new 5 year old push bike? He’ll have that covered before being caught for his next offence. What a joke…
This is how you get vigilantism.
Who is the judge? Name and shame.
That ashole in the news again
How can you even make any common sense of this, it is beyond my ability to understand the legal system and the judges who allow this to happen.
Sorry for your country.
Maybe it’s time to start building more prisons to protect the public and maybe it’s time to start electing our judges who will help protect the public.
There is a time when you just need to put the dog down if it’s just going to bite everyone.