Two communities on Vancouver Island will be part of 12 getting dedicated hubs that focus on repeat violent crime prevention in the province.
According to the government, they are a part of the repeat violent offending intervention initiative, which is focused on targeted enforcement and enhanced investigation and monitoring for each community.
The hubs will be based in Nanaimo and Victoria on Vancouver Island, with 10 others located throughout B.C. They will be comprised of police, dedicated prosecutors and probation officers and will be structured to meet the needs of each community, with the goal of connecting offenders with the services they need for better outcomes.
B.C. premier David Eby says to keep communities safe, they need to work in a co-ordinated system.
“These new regional hubs will help prosecutors, police and corrections officials focus on addressing specific repeat prolific offenders to keep communities safe,” said Eby.
“This will deliver serious consequences for those who repeatedly break the law, while also making sure targeted services are available to those who are ready for them.”
Nanaimo mayor Leonard Krog adds the city has seen a fallout from repeat offenders and is hopeful the new hubs will help the roots of the problem.
“I’m optimistic that these new initiatives will be the building blocks which will hold criminals accountable and prevent crimes from happening in the first place,” said Krog.
“I’m pleased that one of the 12 dedicated hubs will be based in Nanaimo, and I hope its integrated approach will help address the underlying issues, disrupt crime and improve safety for families and businesses.”
The initiative will be supported by the new special investigation and targeted enforcement program, with over $16 million being invested over three years. They say this will allow law enforcement to strengthen targeted investigations of repeat violent offending cases.
Public safety minister and solicitor general Mike Farnworth adds “everyone deserves to feel safe in their community, wherever they live.”
