Surrey, BC: Critic for Solicitor General and Public Safety Elenore Sturko says today’s $6 million announcement for SITE from Public Safety Minister Garry Begg risks further bogging down B.C.’s already overwhelmed justice system.
“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.”
Sturko emphasized that SITE funding and the ReVOII initiative should go hand in hand with investments in prosecution and court capacity. “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.”
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.
She added: “I get it—Minister Begg is feeling desperate. What’s happening in Surrey is serious. But a one-off announcement for a two-year-old program, without fortifying our justice system or demanding bail reform, isn’t going to deliver the safety our communities need.”
Sturko also stressed the need for a broader response: “You can’t fix public safety without matching enforcement with mental health, addiction, and poverty reduction supports. This isn’t just a policing issue, it’s a system-wide challenge. And we need all parts of that system firing on all cylinders.”
“The government claims ReVOII is working, but if it is, where’s the proof?” Sturko said. “In Surrey, people are still being stabbed, extorted, and assaulted. British Columbians don’t need another press conference, they need leadership willing to reform the entire system.”
-30-
Media contact:
Francesca Guetchev, Communications Officer
Francesca.Guetchev@leg.bc.ca
+1 (672) 922-0948
