BC NDP Leader David Eby will hire 50 more Crown prosecutors, fund a dedicated extortion and gang-violence unit and pursue more resources to get illegal guns off the street

VANCOUVER - BC NDP Leader David Eby says a re-elected BC NDP government will double down on proven programs that tackle repeat violent offenders and chronic property crime, while boosting resources to ensure gangsters carrying guns are taken off our streets.

“Extortionists are targeting innocent families and small business owners, and they are attacking every British Columbian’s sense of safety,” said David Eby. “We’ve made progress through our work with our federal and municipal partners, and now we are announcing additional steps to stop these criminals.”

The BC NDP will double the successful repeat offending programs. In two years since implementation, the Repeat Violent Offending Intervention Initiative has shown success:

• reduced police interactions with participants by 50%;
• reduced violent offences committed by participants by 56%; and
• increased charge approvals from Crown counsel.

Expanded to property-crime offenders this summer, the repeat-offending programs can monitor as many as 870 people. By doubling capacity for these offending hubs, the BC NDP will help reduce street disorder, vandalism, and shoplifting in communities across the province.

“The BC NDP has been working hard to stop repeat violent offenders, and it’s making a difference: violent offence interactions dropped 50%,” said Sheila Malcolmson, BC NDP Candidate for Nanaimo-Gabriola Island. “Continuing this work is important to stop these crimes and address root causes.”

The BC NDP will expand the Civil Forfeiture Office to target gang assets, including properties used as drug labs, luxury vehicles, and businesses used as fronts. A BC NDP government will also pursue immediate provincial penalties for people caught with illegal guns and involved in gang activity, wherever the law allows, including driving suspensions and loss of access to business licenses. Criminal penalties are set by Ottawa, and the BC NDP will keep pushing for federal changes to keep violent offenders off the street.

The BC NDP will also hire 50 additional Crown prosecutors and dedicate a unit to focus on extortion, racketeering and gang violence. Pairing this work with the BC Extortion Task Force would put more criminals behind bars.

“We will use every tool we have to go after those who destroy our sense of peace,” said Terry Yung, the BC NDP Candidate for Vancouver-Yaletown and a former police officer. “Ottawa sets criminal law, but BC has real tools of our own, and we’re going to use them.”

Eby also committed to working with the RCMP and the Justice Institute of BC - which has recently expanded police training - to train new officers faster by streamlining recruitment. Like the BC Extortion Task Force, the NDP will set up a BC Retail Theft Task Force to bring together officers and resources from across the province to target those who target businesses.