In a packed Ottawa conference room in March 1980, Deputy Solicitor General André Bissonnette cut through the formalities.

“Being a victim is often physically painful, expensive and can produce devastating emotional scars which can last for a long time,” he told delegates. “We must not forget that even a minor theft can be very traumatic for some people and that those victims are also in need of assistance.”

The justice system had chased offenders for years. Victims repaired broken doors themselves and sat alone in courtrooms. The National Workshop on Services to Crime Victims convened police, officials and cross-border experts after ministers admitted this neglect now threatened convictions themselves.

US models stole the spotlight. New York City’s Victim Services Agency ran a 24-hour hotline and locksmith teams, serving 40,000 people yearly. Arizona’s Pima County added volunteer crisis cars for family violence.

Canadian pockets already worked. Calgary mailed case-progress letters to every break-in victim and arranged repairs. In Prince Edward Island, judges ordered restitution in more than 65 percent of probation cases.

Family violence sessions hit hardest. Experts revealed at least 10 percent of married women had been beaten.

The workshop ended with a call to coordinate hotlines, restitution and shelters nationwide. When crime hits your door today, the first help you receive traces straight back to those three days.