Kevin Klein campaign sets sights on combating city crime

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This article was published 29/09/2022 (720 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Over four years as a Winnipeg city councillor, Kevin Klein has often been deemed a blunt critic of his political opponents, the kind of leader supporters credit with “telling it like it is.”

During his rookie term, he didn’t shy away from criticizing council decisions, along with what he deems persistent threats to public safety.

Now running for mayor, the Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood councillor is not reluctant to portray high crime rates as a major threat to Winnipeg.

“It’s not time to give up on this city, it’s time to start fighting for our city,” Klein, 57, told the audience of an evening town hall he hosted in late August, which involved plenty of discussion on the topic.

The former Winnipeg Police Board chairman said growing demand forces officers to rush from call to call, and blamed the issue for causing excessive wait times.

Crime has been a key topic at Klein’s community town halls, which he’s held about twice a week since September, as part of his effort to introduce himself to Winnipeggers among a crowded field of 11 mayoral candidates who will be listed on the final ballot for the Oct. 26 election.

In a wide-raging interview with the Free Press, the self-labelled “pro-protection” politician said police have become a popular target for criticism, with some citizens blaming all cops for the actions of a few.

“I think police are heavily criticized by others because it’s the flavour of the day… There (were) things happening in the United States that were unfathomable by police, things that they were doing that (were) wrong, but you can’t put that on every member of the police service in Winnipeg… And there’s been incidents, yes, where police have acted inappropriately. But that happens (in every industry), where you always have some bad apples and you need to weed them out,” he said.

Local calls to defund the police have increased over the past few years.

Klein said it would be “ridiculous” for mayoral candidates who plan to defund or even freeze the Winnipeg Police Service budget to actually do so, given the city’s high crime rates and inflation.

“It’s not defund the police, it’s better allocate the resources. And to say you’re going to freeze the budget is childish and it’s just somebody that doesn’t have the experience,” said Klein.

If elected, Klein said he would ensure more police monitor Winnipeg Transit, ask the province to let sheriff’s officers stay with people who are in custody while they wait for hospital treatment, and task cadets with helping patrol some parts of the city.

The candidate (married, with a blended family of six children) stressed his beliefs come from a background affected by poverty, not the privileged upbringing he says some assume he enjoyed.

Raised by a single mom in Calgary, Klein said his family lived in a mix of public housing and some private apartments. He recalls moving often, leading him to experience bullying repeatedly as the new kid at school.

In his late teenage years, Klein recalls a couple of short-term stays in homeless shelters.

“It was a Salvation Army shelter. It was packed. It scared the crap out of me. I could barely sleep the nights I was there because I was afraid. I didn’t know what to expect. But it was only for a couple of times and then I was able to get a job and get going,” he said.

Klein said those experiences help him understand the plight of those struggling with poverty. “In the back of my mind, it’s always with me. I’m always working to be where I am.”

Klein has also spoken about his mother, who was killed by his stepfather, which led him to advocate for tougher punishments for those convicted of domestic violence.

Klein first moved to Winnipeg at the end of 2003, initially arriving as part of Newcap Inc.’s purchase of two local radio stations. He says he’s acquired more than 15 years of executive-level experience that would help him serve as mayor, including as publisher of the Winnipeg Sun.

He also worked for now-disgraced fashion mogul Peter Nygard for about four months in 2012, and two weeks in 2014. Nygard has been charged in Canada and the United States with sex assaults against several women. The charges have not been proven in court.

Last year, Klein was asked about the past work when the allegations against Nygard emerged. He faced more questions after a photo of Klein playing poker with Nygard and a group of women was included in a CBC documentary.

Klein has maintained he had only a business relationship and did not see anything inappropriate or illegal take place — something he again stressed during a recent interview.

“Tens of thousands of people in Winnipeg have worked for that company and many of them have quit in the first few months. I’m just like everybody else that left there. But the people that did stay there that worked in Winnipeg, they were hard-working individuals… and they shouldn’t be piled into what he… is accused of.”

Klein noted many other politicians had posed for photos with Nygard at events over the years prior to his arrest.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga