Bail Reform is a Business Issue

Last week’s daylight stabbing of a Joe Kool’s manager—allegedly by a “prolific offender” already out on bail—shook Londoners and reignited debate over Canada’s bail laws. Police Chief Thai Truong is right: this isn’t just a policing problem; it is a community‑safety problem. For the 1,000‑plus businesses we represent, it is also an economic problem and a major issue for our business community. 

The cost of a revolving door

When an accused person released on bail re‑offends, the impact radiates far beyond the immediate victim. Our members tell us they are replacing broken windows, writing off stolen inventory, and diverting scarce dollars to private security. Some merchants now close earlier or pay surcharges for insurance coverage.

This is not unique to London. Nationally, violent crime in urban cores has risen and business groups across the country are sounding the alarm. That is why the London Chamber authored the resolution “Bail Reform, Mental Health and Addiction Supports as Essential Components to Increasing Safety in Canadian Cities.” Delegates at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s 2023 AGM adopted it with more than a two‑thirds majority, making it official advocacy of the national chamber network. chamber.ca (Policy paper #46).

The London Chamber calls on the federal government to:

1. Toughen the Criminal Code by imposing a higher test before violent repeat offenders can be released on bail.
2. Invest in homelessness, mental‑health and addiction services so that individuals who do secure bail have the support they need to comply with conditions.
3. Expand and properly fund bail‑supervision programs to monitor those released and connect them with community resources. 

Bill C‑48 is a start—but only a start

Parliament took an important step when Bill C‑48 received Royal Assent on December 5 2023 and came into force on January 4 2024, creating reverse‑onus provisions for repeat violent offenders and certain weapons offences. Ministère de la Justice Yet, as the Joe Kool’s incident shows, dangerous gaps remain in how those provisions are applied on the ground.

Chief Truong has vowed to “contest [the suspect’s] release.” Business applauds that stance, but the burden cannot rest with police alone. Judges need clearer statutory guidance; prosecutors need the resources to assemble stronger bail packages; and support agencies need stable funding so that substance‑use disorder or the lack of a fixed address are no longer a ticket back to custody—or back to crime.

Why bail reform matters to prosperity

Safe streets underpin vibrant commercial corridors. When customers feel uneasy about coming downtown, sales fall and vacancy rises. When property crimes spike, landlords defer improvements and insurers raise premiums. In short, public safety is a prerequisite for economic growth.

“When our members have to spend more on repairs and private security, it means they have less to spend on new hires and on growing their business,” says Kristen Duever, COO of the London Chamber of Commerce. “If we want London to thrive, we need a bail system that keeps habitual violent offenders off the sidewalk—and the supports that stop vulnerable people from becoming repeat offenders in the first place.”

A balanced, three‑part solution

1. Accountability for chronic violent offenders. Strengthen reverse‑onus provisions and ensure courts apply them consistently, so that individuals with a serious pattern of violence must prove why release is justified—not the other way around.
2. Investment in wrap‑around services. Stable housing, rapid‑access addiction medicine and mental‑health counselling reduce breaches and recidivism. These are not luxuries; they are crime‑prevention tools that cost far less than repeated incarceration or the economic fallout of unchecked street crime.
3. Robust bail supervision. Ontario’s bail‑verification and supervision programs have shown promise, but they are chronically under‑funded and unevenly available. Scaling them up would give judges a viable middle path between blanket detention and unconditional release.

What happens next

The Chamber has taken this message to municipal councillors, MPPs, and MPs. We urge all levels of government to adopt the full suite of recommendations passed by the Canadian Chamber in 2023, and to treat bail reform as the economic‑development issue it is.

London’s entrepreneurs are resilient—we have weathered recessions, lockdowns and supply‑chain chaos—but we should not have to budget for repeat violent crime. Let’s modernize the bail system so that business owners can focus on growth, employees can feel safe at work, and customers can enjoy everything our city has to offer.