Sarnia police say over two-thirds of the arrests they made during the last three months of 2021 were people who were already charged before the court.
A report on recidivism, submitted by Sgt. Miro Soucek, showed that 69.7 per cent of arrests from October 1 to December 31 were people that were bound by a judicial release.
The report was presented to the Sarnia Police Services Board ahead of their January meeting after the topic was brought up the month prior.
Chair Mayor Mike Bradley complimented the sergeant who wrote the report, saying it's very good data to have and that it takes them away from anecdotal evidence.
"In the past, we've been dealing with some general observations and knowing there's an issue, but this has been very, very good to have this type of information."
Police Chief Norm Hansen said other police boards have complained that it's getting more common for people to get bail, especially since Bill C-75 came out.
"And so that's what we're faced with, is all those people that -- it was just under 70 per cent of the people we arrested in those three months, were already on charges. And I would be very confident in saying the majority of them probably got back out again."
Hansen said C-75 directly affected bail and what the courts are saying are administration of justice charges, including breaching bail and probation conditions. He said in the past, it's been more difficult to get out again once a person has been accused of breaching those conditions.
Board Co-Chair Paul Wiersma thought it'd also be interesting to know what percentage of people bound by a judicial release become arrested.
"That's a different type of question and I think it's a little more in line with recidivism, if I understand it correctly."
Wiersma said he wasn't asking police to provide that number, but said they needed to be cautious about the way they interpret the data. Hansen said they wouldn't be able to figure that number out.
"Basically, for our recidivism purposes it's 'how many people do the police have to deal with again when they're released?' This is more for us dealing with them again and again and again."
The board agreed to send the report to Sarnia City Council for information.
