Belleville Police Service is sounding the alarm about how court backlogs are blocking them from seeing cases through, despite officers completing their investigations promptly.
In a press release, the service pointed out how a lack of time with available judges means that criminal cases are not being heard in a timely manner. The cases affected are those charged under the Provincial Offences Act, which require that the cases go before a judge within 15 months, or the charges have to be withdrawn.
“Our officers are completing their work thoroughly and on time,” said Police Chief Murray Rodd. “The challenges we are seeing are the result of systemic court scheduling limitations, not police action. Yet our officers’ work is set aside and the public sees cases withdrawn without resolution. That is a lose-lose for Belleville.”
Only 85 judicial sitting days are available per year in Hastings County, and while some measures such as allowing court clerks to hear guilty pleas have been proposed, they have yet to be implemented.
