Image: Can. Press / File

By Connor Gunn - CFJC Today

safer communities

Eby announces action plan to strengthen enforcement against violent offences

Nov 20, 2022 | 1:41 PM

VANCOUVER — B.C.’s new Premier David Eby announced a new action plan in response to “a rise in repeat violent offending.”

In a news release, the government says the Safer Communities Action Plan says is meant to “strengthen enforcement to keep those who commit repeat violent offences off B.C. streets.”

The plan has been outlined to take steps toward making British Columbia communities more safe.

Eby says the plan will fall into two tiers which include enforcement and intervention services.

He explained in the news conference that B.C. officials have to make changes in order to make a difference on the subject of repeat violent offences.

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“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community. We are making changes to bring key groups together to keep people and communities safe – ensuring those who commit violent acts face consequences, and creating as many opportunities as possible for them to address mental-health and addiction issues to break the cycle of a life in and out of jail.”

In the provincial news release, the following measures were announced:

• launching new repeat violent offender co-ordinated response teams, made up of police, and dedicated prosecutors and probation officers;
• expanding mental-health crisis response teams into more communities so police can focus on crime, and people in crisis are met early on by health-care workers and community members;
• taking the next steps in creating a new model of addictions care at St. Paul’s Hospital so people can seamlessly move from crisis response in the emergency room, to detox, to treatment services, in partnership with Vancouver Coastal Health and Providence Health Care, with plans to expand this model in the future;
• opening 10 new Indigenous Justice Centres to provide culturally appropriate support for Indigenous Peoples involved in the justice system to address the root causes of their involvement in the system and help them break the cycle;
• going after the houses, cars and luxury goods of high-level organized criminals who profit on misery by introducing “unexplained wealth order” legislation in spring 2023; and
• building public confidence in the prosecution system with new direction from the attorney general to prosecutors to implement a clear and understandable approach to bail for repeat violent offenders within the existing federal law. The new policy will take effect on Nov. 22, 2022.

“Being compassionate, concerned and taking action on mental health and addiction issues does not mean that we have to accept repeated criminal behaviour or violence, Eby adds.