Category: News

A debate is growing over the cause of that tragedy in Upper Big Tracadie.

Family and friends of the Desmond family have pointed to post-traumatic stress disorder as the main reason for the murder-suicide.

However, a sociology professor at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, calls it a mistake to blame it on P-T-S-D.  Ardath Whynacht says there is nothing in medical literature to suggest P-T-S-D leads to violence. On the contrary, she says people with mental illnesses are more likely to be victims of crime not perpetrators.

Halifax police will continue to do what are called street checks despite a lack of proof they are effective.

The force has released data from the past 11 years showing that blacks are three times more likely to be stopped by police and checked out, based on their percentage of the population. A researcher says there’s no proof these checks are effective in lowering crime in HRM.

Police management, however, says there’s anecdotal evidence they are effective so they will continue them.