Whereas the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General has primary responsibility for the Victim Services Program delivered throughout the Province of British Columbia in close collaboration with policing services; And whereas a variety of agencies and local governments delivermanage the Program in different communities, with varying degrees of expertise and limited connection to services to be able to provide adequate supervision and support of victim service workers: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Province of British Columbia to develop a standardized approach for police-based victim services programs in BC that, among other things, includes additional provincial funding and assigns full responsibility for delivery of these programs to the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General The Province is committed to ensuring that victims of crime have access to the services and supports they need. The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General provides over 60 million annually in funding to support over 475 victim service and violence against women programs across the province. Police-based victim service programs are cost-shared with local governments in communities that contribute to their policing costs. This cost-sharing approach recognizes the critical role that police-based victim service programs play in police and community responses to crime and trauma, particularly around crisis response services. The ministry is aware that some service providers and programs continue to face financial pressures and ministry staff continue to work with those service providers on these issues. The ministry contracts and works with provincial associations like Police Victim Services of BC to ensure that their member programs are supported and have access to the required training to effectively support victims of crime across British Columbia.