BC Green Party promises ‘cross-party’ committee on public safety

The BC Green Party is calling for a non-partisan collaboration to address public safety in the province, ahead of the B.C. election in October.

The party says that in response to the “increasing politicization” of the issue, its members want a return to the “cross-party collaboration” of the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act.

Greens Leader Sonia Furstenau says British Columbians are tired of public safety being used as a “political football.”

 “We need to come together, across party lines, to create real solutions that make everyone in our communities feel safe,” said Furstenau.

“Public safety must be grounded in anti-racism, community accountability, and evidence-based practices.”

If elected, the party says it would implement all 11 recommendations from a report made by the Special Committee in 2022.

The report titled ‘Transforming Policing and Community Safety in British Columbia’, sought ways to “shift police culture and address systemic racism in policing in B.C., and for policing services to be informed by community.”

The recommendations include:

• Funding a continuum of response to mental health, substance use, and other complex social issues, with a focus on prevention and community-led reponse and integrating mental health within 911 call options.
• Immediately appointing an all-party parliamentary committee to undertake a comprehensive and binding review of the Mental Health Act.
• Ensuring Indigenous peoples and local governments are engaged in the drafting of Community Safety and Policing Act legislation.
• Enhancing and standardize initial and ongoing police education and training to reflect key values and competencies in order to shift police culture.

 Furstenau says that though crime is reportedly decreasing in Vancouver, homelessness across the province has “risen dramatically in the last five years.

“To address homelessness, we must provide housing. To improve public safety, we need to address the root causes of crime. Mental health responses, not just police intervention, are essential for public and police safety,” she said.

BC Green Party MLA for Saanich North and the Islands Adam Olsen says the BC NDP has ignored the recommendations of the report since its release.

“We already have a cross-party-supported roadmap to reform public safety,” said Olsen.

“Cross-party oversight ensures that reforms are driven by the needs of the community rather than solely on political agendas, which is critical for meaningful public safety transformation.”

The provincial election is scheduled for Oct. 19.