Research shows omnibus crime bill is in need of amendments ON SEPT. 20, the House of Commons heard the first reading of Bill C-10, an omnibus crime bill known as the Safe Streets and Communities Act presented by the Conservative government. The act, which has received criticism in the House of Commons and from experts in the field, the provinces, and the public, consists of nine bills seeking harsher sentencing for criminal offenders in an effort to lower the crime rate in Canada. Experts in crime reduction don’t think the bill will have the expected impact on the crime rate, which, according to a report by Statistics Canada, is at an all-time low. Irvin Waller, criminology professor at the University of Ottawa, explained a focus on prevention, not punishment, is needed to reduce crime rates. …