Langley will host a new hub aimed at targeting the repeat and chronic offenders responsible for a disproportionate amount of street crime. The province announced 12 new hubs in total and $16 million will go towards the Chronic Property Offending Intervention Initiative (CPOII) across B.C. “Retail theft and street disorder undermine public safety and place added pressure on local businesses,” said Nina Krieger, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “The province is targeting chronic property offending that threatens the livelihood of small businesses, which
are the backbone of our communities.” The CPOII is based on the fact that just a few people are believed to be responsible for many repeat property crimes, such as theft, shoplifting, vandalism, and street disorder. The project is aimed at bringing together Crown prosecutors, police, probation officers, supervisors in the prison system, and mental health liaisons from the Forensic Psychiatric Services. The repeat offenders in the program are identified by police and BC Corrections officers. The funding will see a dozen hub coordinators hired,
and also pays for nine corrections staff, and 10 dedicated Crown counsel prosecutors, among other hires. According to the announcement, small scale pilots of the CPOII began last year in Kelowna, Nanaimo, and Nelson. Although the project have so far been limited in scope, the provincial government says it has helped stabilized property crime trends in Kelowna, and that there has been a local decline in break and enter crimes. The new hubs, including in Langley, double the number of hubs already announced to a
total of 24. They will allow for stronger monitoring and intervention on about 420 repeat property crime offenders. There is also a program, the Repeat Violent Offending Intervention Initiative, which will monitor up to 445 offenders around B.C. Outside of Langley, the new hubs include locations in Kelowna, Maple Ridge, Surrey, two for Vancouver, and another for Victoria.
Langley, chronic property offending, CPOII, Chronic Property Offending Intervention Initiative, street crime, retail theft, shoplifting, vandalism, break and enter, Crown prosecutors, BC Corrections, Forensic Psychiatric Services, Repeat Violent Offending Intervention Initiative
So it’s a “hub” now? Love how they keep calling it that like it’s a call center for criminals.
420 repeat offenders monitored… doesn’t that just mean 420 people get watched more? Like okay, but what about the cops actually catching people in the act?
Wait, I thought Kelowna was doing this already. So why are they saying it stabilized property crime trends like it’s new news? Also “mental health liaisons” doesn’t mean much if they’re not actually treating people, ya know.
This sounds like another way to punish the wrong folks. Like they’ll label anyone who shoplifts once as a “chronic offender” and then it’s game over. $16 million seems wild too—could’ve been used to help businesses lock stuff up or hire more security.