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The BC Prosecution Service is preparing to deploy new specialized teams designed to target the recurring issue of repeat violent offenders.
In a Friday media release, the prosecution service said it has selected 21 dedicated Crown prosecutors, along with support staff, to form five regional teams supporting the province’s intervention initiative.
Read more: B.C. government vows to tackle issue of repeat offenders
In each region, the teams will provide criminal law advice and independent prosecutorial support, as well as boost collaboration and information sharing with probation officers, corrections supervisors and police, the BCPS said.
“Each regional team will have members who live and work in the communities in the region, are familiar with local issues and concerns, and have established working relationships with local police officers and corrections staff.”
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Read more: BC Prosecution Service short on staff due to repeat violent offender response team
Earlier this month, the NDP government announced it would fund the teams with $25 million over three years.
The province has previously said that it is also directing prosecutors to implement a clear and understandable approach to bail for repeat violent offenders within existing federal law, and has been pushing the federal government to reform bail laws.
The moves come on the heels of a 2022 report on prolific and violent offenders authored by former deputy Vancouver police chief Doug LePard and health researcher and criminologist Amanda Butler.
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That report found a need for more mental health supporters to deal with an increase in violent repeat offenders, and highlighted “a shortage of resources available to meet the needs of people who have been incarcerated when they are released.”
Read more: Experts recommend big boosts to mental health supports to deal with repeat offenders in B.C.
Last spring, a group of B.C. mayors sent an open letter to the province with concerns that the amount of time the Crown takes to review charge recommendations from police had climbed 118 per cent since 2017, while the rate at which the BCPS had chosen not to approve charges had risen by 75 per cent.
The letter called for stronger bail conditions, stricter consequences for breaching those conditions, and stronger consideration for “maintaining public confidence in the administration of justice” in bail and charge assessment policies.
The prosecutors will undergo training, then transition into their new roles over the next month, with the goal of being fully up and running by May.
