On his third day on the job, BC’s new Premier David Eby announced a wide range of new public safety measures.
The announcement was in response to a report released earlier this fall that highlighted a rise in repeat violent offending. The measures, bundled together as the Safer Communities Action Plan, focus on enforcement and intervention, Eby said.
As part of this, Eby plans to launch “repeat violent offender response teams,” which will be coordinated teams made up of prosecutors, probation officers, and police dedicated to preventing violent crime before it happens. But when those violent crimes do happen, Eby added, the team will work to ensure violent offenders remain in custody to await their trial instead of being released back into the community.
This includes providing training and resources to ensure proper information sharing between prosecutors and police so courts can make more informed bail decisions for violent offenders.
A more clear and understandable bail policy for violent offenders is also expected to be implemented on Tuesday by Attorney General Murray Rankin.
“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 said.
Changes to the federal bail system by the federal government and Supreme Court have made it more difficult to hold repeat violent offenders in custody while awaiting trial, Eby said. This action plan, as well as actions from other provinces and territories, is meant to add pressure on the federal government to reverse these decisions.
The plan is also focused on addressing the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the justice system by adding 10 new Indigenous justice centres in addition to the three already in operation. These will provide “free, culturally appropriate services to help people address root causes of why they’re in contact with the justice system,” Eby said.
In the spring, Eby says the province will also start work to disincentivize organized crime by seizing assets and going after the profits that attract people to gangs.
