Note
Cover title.
"Chair:
Darryl Plecas"--Cover.
"Members of the Panel:
Gary Bass, Geri Bemister, Beverly Busson, Yvon Dandurand, Jean T. Fournier"--Cover.
Summary
"In the last decade, British Columbia’s crime rate has fallen dramatically. And while this is consistent with wider trends, the drop has been steeper here than anywhere else in North America. Countless individuals and organizations have played a role in driving down crime. But perhaps the single greatest contribution has come from police – who, faced with a spike in gang-related crime in the early 2000s, made a fundamental change in the way they do their work. Instead of focusing primarily on crimes, they focused on offenders. And the outcomes speak for themselves.
In some jurisdictions, such as Abbotsford and Burnaby, crime rates have fallen by more than 50 per cent and it’s clear that crime reduction initiatives have made a difference. This points the way to a new approach for our justice system overall, especially in a time of fiscal restraint. Simply put, all partners in the criminal justice system need to put the focus on offenders at every level – from primary prevention activities to improved offender management – in an integrated, coordinated way. This is the key to bringing B.C.’s crime rate down even further and, at the same time, improving efficiency to make sure we get the best results from every dollar invested."--Introduction.
Contents
1. Getting serious about reducing crime: report of the Blue Ribbon Panel -- 1.1. Introduction -- 1.2. Background -- 1.3. About the Panel -- 2. What the Panel heard -- 2.1. Focusing on offenders -- 2.2. Alternatives to incarceration -- 2.3. Addictions and mental illness -- 2.4. Inter-agency collaboration -- 2.5. Domestic violence -- 2.6. First Nations communities -- 2.7. Rapid economic development -- 2.8. Prevention -- 2.9. Funding -- 3. Overview of current crime reduction initiatives -- 3.1. Those led by municipalities -- 3.2. Crime reduction initiatives led by police -- 3.3. Crime reduction initiatives led by the provincial government -- 3.4. Recommendations for crime reduction opportunities -- 3.5. Conclusion -- Appendix A.
Blue Ribbon Committee on Crime Reduction: terms of reference -- Appendix B.
Blue Ribbon Crime Reduction Panel member biographies -- Appendix C.
What the Panel heard -- Appendix D.
Reducing recidivism: integrated offender management -- Appendix E.
Mental health and addiction issues -- Appendix F.
Meaningful and effective diversion and restorative justice programs -- Appendix G.
Improved police capacity to reduce crime -- Appendix H. Crime reduction -- Appendix I.
Funding: reconsidering our investments -- Appendix J.
Promoting and measuring success --
Monitoring performance.