Strategic Context
Many factors impact the ministry's ability to achieve its goals and objectives. Some place the ministry in an advantageous position to build on past successes while others present new challenges and opportunities to develop innovative approaches to public safety.
Challenges and Risks
Crime trends impact the work of the ministry. While the overall crime rate for British Columbia remained basically stable from 2003 to 2004 (124.9 and 125.2 crimes per 1,000 population respectively), the crime rate has increased in the province from the 113.8 crimes per 1,000 population reported in 2000.
The nature of crime is also changing. Organized crime is increasingly crossing community, provincial and national boundaries and expanding into all forms of criminal activity, including human trafficking, theft, fraud and illegal gambling. Crime profiles are also changing with technological advances, and police are seeing new types of crimes, such as Internet luring, identity theft and Internet fraud. Gang violence is also increasing, particularly in the Lower Mainland, where gun violence is a growing concern and an increased number of home invasions have been reported.
The number of large-scale investigations in the province has grown and is consuming increasing proportions of available resources. While crime rates are indicative of police workloads, they cannot reflect the time and resources dedicated to investigating complex criminal activities, such as serial offenders or organized crime groups. Recent high-profile investigations, such as the Missing Women's Task Force, illustrate the scale and intricacy of many violent crime investigations.
Managing multi-needs offenders has become more challenging, with increases in the proportion of violent, high-risk, and multi-needs offenders under corrections supervision. The changing profile of offenders has contributed to greater use of remand and bail supervision. These trends have resource implications and affect staff training, security, program development and delivery, and offender management. Most notably, consolidation of adult custody facilities has resulted in housing offenders with different risk classifications and multiple needs in the same institutions, presenting challenges for effective custodial supervision. Managing multi-needs offenders also requires close collaboration with justice and social service partners, such as police, addictions services, and forensic psychiatric services.
Substance abuse and addiction are of concern, with alcohol and both legal and illegal drugs linked to preventable health and social problems, including criminality. Crystal meth use and production is a serious issue in British Columbia and elsewhere. It is highly addictive, inexpensive and easy to obtain. Severe physical and mental health problems are associated with its use and there are serious environmental and public safety risks related to its production.
Growth in illegal gambling has been stimulated by the growing popularity and availability of games in the media, on the Internet and in the community. New technology and the ability to operate from anywhere in the world over the Internet makes online gambling very difficult to regulate. Programs and services are increasingly necessary to promote awareness of responsible gambling practices as well as to address illegal gambling.
Natural hazards continue to require strong, coordinated mitigation and response efforts. Unprecedented fires impacting population centres (interface fires), landslides, severe weather, floods, ice jams and drought challenge communities and the province with regard to hazard mitigation and response and recovery capabilities and costs.
Human resource challenges are increasing for the ministry. Faced with the pressures of an aging workforce, the ministry is in competition with other agencies for new staff with demonstrated strong performance. Time and resources are needed to expand existing competencies and to recruit and train new staff.
Strengths and Opportunities
Continued application of new technologies and innovative strategies are key ministry strengths, as illustrated by the following examples.
- The Police Records Information Management Environment (P.R.I.M.E.), an online data sharing system providing up-to-the-minute information about criminals and crimes, is improving law enforcement and enhancing officer and public safety.
- British Columbia's justice information system (J.U.S.T.I.N.) provides a single integrated database comprising almost every aspect of criminal cases, and an interface between J.U.S.T.I.N. and P.R.I.M.E. further increases case-tracking efficiency.
- The Policing and Community Safety Branch is continuing with the integration of services and creation of specialized police units to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of policing.
- Opportunities exist to further enhance emergency response and community safety through partnerships among local government emergency programs, local police, fire and ambulance services, and public safety lifeline volunteers.
- Police Services Division continues to work with police departments throughout the province to promote initiatives to enhance road safety, including strengthened enforcement and innovative use of technology.
- The Corrections Branch embraces evidence-based planning and decision-making. Empirically-founded practices inform branch program and policy development, and staff recruitment and training. B.C. Corrections is internationally recognized for its leadership in risk-based case management and has hosted representatives from other nations wishing to learn about correctional practices.
- The Corrections Branch has updated its operational system, using new technology that allows for more efficient, timely and accurate data collection, integrates and enhances offender case management, amalgamates several internal systems and interfaces with external systems. C.O.R.N.E.T. is a web-based, integrated client management system used by the Corrections Branch and the Youth Justice Division of the Ministry of Children and Family Development (M.C.F.D.). It provides improved information sharing between Corrections staff, M.C.F.D. Youth Justice Staff, and other stakeholders.
- Government is addressing the resource challenges of the B.C. Coroners Service. An additional $1 million was invested to address ongoing child death review responsibilities. Reporting structures were enhanced and new staff hired to address increasing caseload volumes. As well, recommendations from the examination of the child death review process in B.C., conducted by Ted Hughes, Q.C., are being used to strengthen the B.C. Coroners Service.
- The B.C. Coroners Service is now well on its way to implementing a new electronic reporting system linked to a robust database and putting technology in the hands of coroners in the field. Implementation of the new system, known as T.O.S.C.A., will further enhance the B.C. Coroners Service's ability to respond and report out in a timely manner.
- The Office of the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles employs an effective case management system utilizing document imaging and other sophisticated technologies.
- The Liquor Control and Licensing Branch has implemented new policies requiring applicants to consent to greater scrutiny in areas such as financial sources to reduce criminality within licensed establishments. Existing licensees who have known associations with criminal organizations, including outlaw motorcycle gangs, or are involved in criminal activities are also subject to investigations leading to possible licence revocation.
- The Liquor Control and Licensing Branch is implementing online access to services that will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This initiative has been undertaken in partnership with the OneStop Business Registry Office and other partners within the B.C. government, municipalities and self-governing bodies.
Linkages and partnerships with other ministries, jurisdictions, levels of government and outside institutions continue to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the ministry. The following examples are illustrative:
- British Columbia reached agreement and partnered with the federal government in a national action plan to address concerns about the bulk importation of precursors used to make crystal meth, the release of repeat sex offenders, gang violence, and conditional sentences for serious and violent offences.
- A Congress on Public Safety was held in December 2005, bringing together provincial ministers, M.L.A.s, mayors, Aboriginal leaders, fire, ambulance, health and emergency management, police, R.C.M.P., crime prevention associations, business, multi-cultural associations and non-profit organizations, and the academic/educational and justice communities. It was an opportunity to work together to identify ways of further addressing public safety challenges. Community-based workshops on public safety issues are being held through 2006 along with a Congress on Women's Safety. As well, a second Congress on Public Safety will be held in early 2007.
- The Crystal Meth Secretariat, established in October 2005 and led by the ministry, is directing the development of a framework for integrating efforts to target the use and production of crystal meth in B.C.
- The ministry has teamed up with municipal police, firefighters and electrical inspectors to discourage marijuana grow ops in residential neighbourhoods and to improve local safety by strict enforcement of the Safety Standards Act.
- Partnerships with Simon Fraser University, the University College of the Fraser Valley, the Institute for Canadian Urban Research Studies, and the Centre for Addictions Research of B.C. have strengthened the research capacity of the ministry and assisted in developing effective policy around public safety issues. In addition, the B.C. Centre for Social Responsibility was launched in November 2005 to promote addiction prevention and awareness of problems related to addictive behaviours.
- The ministry has an excellent working partnership with police and law enforcement agencies in the province, demonstrated through the effective coordination of agencies such as the B.C. Association of Municipal Chiefs of Police.
- Victim Services and Community Programs Division has partnered with a variety of government, justice, health and community resources to help meet the unique needs of victims (specifically children and Aboriginal victims) and improve service delivery throughout the province. Examples of agencies partnered with include the Vancouver Police Department, Family Services of Greater Vancouver, and Pacific Community Resources Society.
- In partnership with the Ministries of Health and Employment and Income Assistance, the Corrections Branch has undertaken innovative research on mentally disordered offenders in the justice system. This research forwards a better understanding of this population's needs and resource requirements and will inform future programs and practices.
- Cooperation at local, regional, executive and interagency levels has resulted in high levels of satisfaction with emergency services in B.C. The ministry is continuing to strengthen partnerships with municipalities to enhance emergency preparedness throughout the province.
- Based on commitment to share programs and best practices, the Office of the Fire Commissioner strives to establish and strengthen partnerships with local governments, other organizations and other jurisdictions.
- An important element of the Illegal Gambling Enforcement Strategy is the Integrated Illegal Gaming Enforcement Team (I.I.G.E.T.). The team of 15 branch investigators and 12 R.C.M.P. officers work together throughout the province to address illegal gambling issues and enforce the gaming provision of the Gaming Control Act and Criminal Code of Canada.
- The ministry has partnered with I.C.B.C. to introduce an enhanced road safety enforcement initiative. Under the management of Police Services Division, the R.C.M.P. and independent police departments have come together to form Integrated Road Safety Units which use proactive policing methods and innovative technology to enhance traffic enforcement throughout the province.
Highly-skilled and dedicated staff continues to be a key asset in the ministry. The ministry-wide Learning and Leading Program encourages teamwork, innovation, communication and opportunities to learn new skills. The program was launched to both strengthen the organization and support the people who work within it.
