Crime and infrastructure were top issues among Winnipeggers surveyed in the CBC poll. Crime is the most important issue Winnipeggers want the city's next mayor to address, an opinion poll conducted exclusively for CBC News has found.
Incumbent Mayor Sam Katz holds an 11 percentage point lead over rival Judy Wasylycia-Leis, the poll of 600 voters by Probe Research found.
The survey, conducted between June 8 and June 22, is considered accurate within plus or minus four per cent, 19 times out of 20.
Supporters of both Katz and Wasylycia-Leis identified crime as their primary concern, with 33 per cent of Katz's supporters and 28 per cent of Wasylycia-Leis's supporters saying the issue was top on their list.
Supporters of each candidate also agree the next mayor should address the state of Winnipeg's infrastructure (16 per cent of Wasylycia-Leis supporters and 16 per cent of Katz supporters) and the condition of city streets (14 per cent of Katz supporters and 11 per cent of Wasylycia-Leis supporters).
Eleven per cent of supporters for each candidate said rapid transit should be the top priority for the next mayor.
Those surveyed who say they plan to vote for Wasylycia-Leis were more likely to say poverty is the most important issue facing Winnipeg (17 per cent versus 9 per cent of those who plan to vote for Katz).
Six per cent of Wasylica-Leis supporters as opposed to just one per cent of Katz supporters feel "transparency" or "open and honest government" at City Hall is the No. 1 issue.
Those intending to vote for Katz, on the other hand, are more likely to urge their candidate to focus on economic development (11 per cent versus 5 per cent of Wasylycia-Leis supporters) and hiring more police officers (7 per cent versus one percent of those among Wasylycia-Leis supporters.
A majority of Conservative Party supporters back Katz. A majority of NDP supporters back Wasylycia-Leis.
I agree. Crime is a major issue in Winnipeg, especially with gangs. We need to invest in crime prevention programs, reducing poverty, unemployment, addictions and implementing more mental health services for all people. We do not need to get tough on crime, as that has been proven ineffective in the long term and can actually increase the rates of re-offending. What we need to do, is get smart on crime by addressing the root causes and contributing factors of crime. Unfortunately, the mayor can have no real impact on crime. It is the domain of the federal lawmakers who have all the impact. It is a federal responsibility. The city of Winnipeg is responsible for policing, not incarcerating criminals. Legislation, corrections and justice are all the responsibility of provincial and federal governments. Helping to reduce poverty could also help to reduce crime and address its root cause.
The root caues of both crime and poverty is broken families. Although poverty is viewed as the cause of crime, a fatherless society is a much stronger indicator. Poverty, like crime, is a symptom of social disfunction, not a cause.
Poverty is the obvious priority. Not only does it address poverty but it also address one of the biggest causes of crime. Vote smart and vote for someone who understands the root causes of crime.
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