Whereas ensuring the safety and well-being of our communities is of utmost importance, and recent events in the province highlight the urgent need for proactive measures to tackle emerging social and criminal challenges; And whereas the Province of BC previously created and did not enact the Community Safety Act and Community Safety Amendment Act, providing authorities with effective tools to respond to chronic and illegal behaviour from problematic properties; Therefore be it resolved that UBCM actively lobby the provincial government to bring into force the Community Safety Act and Community Safety Amendment Act to address challenges related to crime and illegal activity and associated threats to public safety.
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General Government has taken responsive and broad actions to address public safety challenges that have emerged over recent years. In November of 2022, Premier David Eby announced the Safer Communities Action Plan to address the challenging public safety issues that are facing our communities. The Safer Communities Action Plan strengthens enforcement to keep those who commit repeat violent offences off BC streets, and leveraging and integrating services to connect people with the support they need. Budget 2025 provides funding of 67 million over three years for community safety programs, including: - The Repeat Violent Offending Intervention Initiative ReVOII program which brings together co-ordinated response teams made up of police, prosecutors and probation officers to respond to repeat, violent offenders. This includes offenders from the Fort St John area who are managed through the Prince George ReVOII hub. - The Special Investigation and Targeted Enforcement SITE Program which provides police operational funding to conduct enforcement actions against repeat violent offenders and enhance community safety. - The new Community Safety and Targeted Enforcement Program C-STEP pilot that will specifically target robbery, shoplifting and other property crimes, providing police with tools to tackle street disorder and support safer downtowns and commercial areas in communities throughout BC. In creating safer communities, the Province provided a multi-year investment of approximately 230 million to the RCMP, as the Provincial Police Service. This funding is addressing existing vacancies and resource pressures, within the Provincial Police Service, including specialized functions such as Major Crime Section, BC Highway Patrol as well as frontline provincial detachment units. While the provincial investment applies to the Provincial Police Service, it is anticipated that the positive impacts will benefit public safety for all of BC, beyond jurisdictions policed directly by the Provincial Police Service. Budget 2025 provides an additional 90 million over three years to expand the Homeless Encampment Action Response Team HEART and Homeless Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing HEARTH programs into new communities. These programs work with local governments and First Nations, non-profit organizations and health-care providers to connect people living outdoors and in encampments with better access to support services, shelter and housing options so they can move inside and encampments can close.