Whereas local police and RCMP services are increasingly being required to detain individuals for extended periods due to limited court transport availability, expanded use of virtual bail, and restricted intake at correctional facilities, resulting in the downloading of court- and correction-related custodial responsibilities onto local police and RCMP services, causing operational strain, staffing pressures, costs, and legal risk; And whereas local police and RCMP detention facilities are not designed, resourced, or governed to meet correctional standards, and there is currently no provincially legislated framework for police detention facilities or jail guard functions, despite growing Charter, safety, and liability risks and the Provinces increasing reliance on police detention as part of the justice system continuum: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Province of British Columbia to: 1. Support timely transfer of detained individuals to the BC Sheriff Service or BC Corrections, consistent with their statutory mandates; 2. Establish clear provincial standards for police detention facilities and jail guard functions, including infrastructure, staffing, training, health, safety, and oversight requirements; 3. Provide sustainable provincial funding to municipalities and police boards for any downloaded andor formally expanded detention and court-related responsibilities; and 4. In collaboration with local governments, police boards, RCMP, and police services, explore and evaluate the feasibility of a regional or centralized police detention facility model for communities in BC to improve detainee safety, operational efficiency, staffing stability, legal compliance, and system resilience.
