Clare's law and policing.

As a retired police officer this is an opportunity to save lives. Having information about a violent partner will save victims. We need to have all the police agencies in Canada willing to enforce Clare's Law. If a victim is concerned about their partner she can ask the police about any other complaints of violence against women. One death is one too many.

Clare's law - domestic violence disclosure

"Clare’s Law is the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme. It's named after Clare Wood, who was murdered in 2009 by her ex-boyfriend who had a history of violence against women. The scheme allows you to ask us about the information we hold on a person in relation to domestic abuse offences and convictions."

It is not like walking into the police station and getting life details, no it is an application process by the victim, a co-worker, family, or friend. Each one is handled with respect and concern for the safety of those involved. Not only will this information save the lives of women and children from domestic violence and homicide but this will also save police lives as well.

There were 662 victims of domestic homicide in Canada between 2010 and 2018, an average of 70 victims per year. That's according to a national study by the Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative for Vulnerable Populations (CDHPIVP), carried out over a five-year period."One person is still too many", said Peter Jaffe, a Western University researcher and co-director of CDHPIVP. "This is still a major problem across the country." 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/western-and-guelph-university-domestic-homicide-1.5296879#:~:text=Study%3A%20Domestic%20homicide%20in%20Canada%20averages%2070%20deaths%20per%20year,in%20the%20last%20nine%20years.

The Privacy Act needs to be weighed against the government's moral and legislative duty to protect vulnerable citizens in our country. This takes precedent over any perceived infraction of the suspect's privacy rights.

I know of a young woman who met her partner and had no idea that he had three restraining orders by other partners and she was his next target. It would have been much easier to have applied to have access to his violent history at the first sign of abuse instead of a year later and he nearly killed her.

Being forewarned is being forearmed. "If only I knew he was violent"

"Jo-Anne Dusel, executive director of the Provincial Association of Transition Houses and Services of Saskatchewan, said the law is intended for people at the beginning of a relationship who see red flags or hear concerns about their new partner's reputation.

Dusel, who worked on how Clare's Law could be implemented in Saskatchewan, said the RCMP's decision could create barriers for people living in rural areas.

Those living in rural communities already face higher rates of intimate partner violence and homicide, as well less access to shelters, she said.

"I understand that the RCMP is under a lot of pressure right now with other things that they are being questioned on including systematic racism, including their response to the Nova Scotia killer," Dusel said.

"Turning down an opportunity to support individuals at-risk to share vital information that can be used for safety planning is the wrong decision."

Without RCMP participation, Dusel said municipal police services could face pressure responding to rural requests."

Domestic violence starts out slowly and if nothing is done it escaltes into violence and death. If partners have information in the begining of a relationship the outcoume will be different for them and their families. Being forewarned is being forearmed and save your life or the life of someone you love. There is never an excuse for abuse.

https://ca.yahoo.com/…/saskatchewan-governments-says-rcmp-d…