Stories:

• Possession of Stolen Property and Dangerous Driving
• Robbery
• Break & Enter, Possession of Credit Cards,
  Theft Under, Breach

Newspaper Articles :

• Making amends (Ottawa Citizen)
• Cash shortage may bench justice project (Ottawa Citizen)
• Collaboration Kaput? (Ottawa Sun)
  • Highly Anxious
  • Doing More
  • Serious Crimes

Possession of Stolen Property and Dangerous Driving

The accused, Kyle*, attempted to receive payment for stolen merchandise at a pawnshop. The police were waiting for him there, and a car chase ensued during which Kyle's vehicle collided with another car. Upon arrest, it was discovered that he had possession of several other pieces of stolen property.

Dave*, 15, had been using marijuana for the past year. When his drug use became daily, he began shoplifting from local stores to feed his habit. He decided that he could make more money by stealing bicycles. He saw a nice bicycle outside a local convenience store and decided to try to steal it. He couldn't get the lock undone so he waited for the owner of the bike to come out.

Daniel became involved with the Project after he was charged with 16 counts involving a number of Break and Enters, Possession of Property Under, Theft Under, Possession/Use of Credit Card, Loiter at Night on Other Person's Property and Fail to Comply! Daniel a long history of being involved in this kind of thing so upon arrest he was sent to a closed custody facility prior to sentencing.

The thief covered his tracks so cleverly it took Sabina Wasserlauf two weeks to figure out she had been robbed. "It was terrible," shudders Wasserlauf, recalling the crime in the leafy yard of the Ottawa home she shares with her husband and two children. "It was shocking." While the jewellery was worth several thousand dollars, its value was mostly sentimental. "It was almost everything I had inherited from my mother."

Despite rave reviews from participants and a positive evaluation from the Department of Justice, Ottawa's Collaborative Justice Project is on life support.

Steve Gerro, who has always had a soft spot for troubled teens, didn't think twice before opening his Ottawa home to a young friend battling drug and alcohol addictions.

In late April, Gerro and some other victims met with the offender, who was highly anxious about facing the people he had stolen from. Through their discussions, a resolution plan was created to help the young man continue with his rehabilitative efforts and to ensure he compensated the victims for their losses.

But former Ottawa Crown Attorney Andrejs Berzins, who also helped start the project, believes the province could be doing more to broaden its vision of criminal justice.

Court cases are usually referred to the program after the offender has pleaded guilty, but before he is sentenced by a judge. But Collaborative Justice is neither a diversion program nor an alternative to jail.