British Columbia’s Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger says 12 new regional hubs will be set up across the province to tackle repeat property offending.
She said Monday the new hubs will be in Dawson Creek, Kelowna, Penticton, Castlegar, Chilliwack, Maple Ridge, Surrey, Langley, Victoria, Courtenay, and two in Vancouver.
The province launched the Chronic Property Offending Intervention Initiative as a pilot program last fall in Nanaimo, Kelowna and Nelson.
Krieger said when repeat offenders are referred to the program, they may be subject to increased monitoring by police, income assistance, and mental health and substance-use supports.
“This approach ensures that the people who pose the greatest risk are held accountable while also addressing the underlying factors that led them to the life of crime,” said Krieger.
The program partners with police and involves co-ordinators based in community corrections officers, correctional centre staff, dedicated Crown counsel and B.C. prosecution staff.
The new locations are expected to support as many as 420 offenders.
Nanaimo RCMP Inspector Donovan Tait said he’s seen some progress with the pilot program since it began last November.
“The progress hasn’t been instant, but it is happening,” said Tait.
He pointed to one case where a repeat offender was slapped with a “fairly significant” custodial sentence, saying previously they would likely have received time served or a probation order.
The program was modelled after B.C.’s Repeat Violent Offending Intervention Initiative (ReVOII), aimed at repeat violent offenders.
Krieger said the ReVOII program has led to a 56 per cent drop in interactions with police among supervised individuals after 18-months.
“We see that individuals, where appropriate, are put into custody and receive quicker and longer sentences as appropriate,” she said.
The province said it’s investing $16 million over two years to set up the new regional hubs.
