BC government has announced an additional $6 million in the Special Investigation and Targeted Enforcement (SITE) program to help police departments target repeat violent offenders and disrupt the cycle of crime.
BC Conservative Critic for Solicitor General and Public Safety Elenore Sturko however emphasized that SITE funding and the ReVOII initiative should go hand in hand with investments in prosecution and court capacity. “We always support targeted enforcement and the police who do the hard work of keeping communities safe,” said Sturko. “But we also respect the critical work of the prosecution service, which is why it’s so disappointing to see that when police initiatives get new funding, no additional resources are allocated to Crown, corrections, or the courts. You can’t keep piling on charges without supporting the rest of the system. It’s buckling, and this government is still pretending it isn’t.”
According to province, since the launch of SITE, the program has supported 148 police operations in 38 communities throughout British Columbia. SITE funding has facilitated 5,425 investigations of individuals, 177 of whom were supported by the Repeat Violent Offending Intervention Initiative (ReVOII). Police have recommended 2,676 charges resulting from SITE-funded operations, along with substantial seizures of various weapons, drugs and other items such as stolen merchandise and cash that was proceeds of crime.
“With the help of our SITE funding, police have had a number of successes in targeting repeat violent offenders and have recommended 2,676 charges, thanks to the program,” said Garry Begg, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “We are ensuring SITE remains available to help police agencies expand their abilities to crack down on repeat violent crime more effectively and keep dangerous people off our streets.”
SITE directly supports the ReVOII, with 12 intervention hubs closely monitoring more than 400 repeat violent offenders under community supervision. Although the two programs operate independently, they work in tandem, with the RCMP B.C. Police Repeat Offending Programs Team supporting police activities related to ReVOII.
“The problem isn’t arrests, it’s what happens next. What’s the conviction rate? How many charges are being stayed because the system is overstretched? Great to lay charges, but if they collapse in court, what’s the point? Without balance, this government is undermining the very outcomes it claims to be improving,” Sturko said.
The B.C. Crown Counsel Association has filed a grievance against the B.C. Prosecution Service over staffing shortages, warning that the court system is overwhelmed and justice is being compromised. Meanwhile, federal bail laws still require courts to apply the least restrictive conditions possible, even for repeat, violent offenders.
“The B.C. Prosecution Service is stretched thin. Crown prosecutors are overworked. Adding more charges without court resources is reckless,” said Sturko.
