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Police union wants 91Ƶfulsome public safety plan91Ƶ ahead of B.C. election

Union calls current bail system 91Ƶcatch and release91Ƶ wants issue to be a campaign focus
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RCMP officers march towards the B.C. Law Enforcement Memorial ceremony at the legislature in Victoria, B.C., on September 24, 2023. The national organization representing RCMP officers across Canada is calling for whoever emerges victorious in the fall British Columbia election to 91Ƶdeliver a fulsome public safety plan91Ƶ in light of incidents such as last week91Ƶs deadly stranger attack in Vancouver. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

The national union for RCMP officers is seeking to make public safety and bail reform a British Columbia election issue after repeat offenders were arrested for violent crimes, including a pair of gruesome attacks in downtown Vancouver last week.

The National Police Federation says it has launched a 91Ƶpre-election program91Ƶ calling on the winner of the Oct. 19 election to deliver a 91Ƶfulsome public safety plan.91Ƶ

It describes the current bail system as 91Ƶcatch and release91Ƶ and says there91Ƶs a lack of data-informed support and monitoring of repeat offenders, resulting in public safety being compromised.

Thirty-four-year-old Brendan McBride was arrested last week over what police are calling two stranger attacks in downtown Vancouver, resulting in the death of 70-year-old Francis Laporte, while another victim91Ƶs hand was cut off.

Court documents show that at the time of the attacks, McBride was on probation over an assault in White Rock, B.C., last September, and the man had been sentenced to 12 months of probation before that in July 2022 for a separate assault in North Vancouver.

National Police Federation vice-president Rob Farrer says the timing of the organization91Ƶs call ahead of the election was somewhat coincidental, since it was more of a response to recent cases such as the Vancouver stranger attacks.

91ƵIt91Ƶs not about the election per se,91Ƶ Farrer said. 91ƵWe91Ƶre trying to make sure that we keep on top of this. We91Ƶre hearing from our officers, they91Ƶre seeing it every day and British Columbians and Canadians generally are seeing this as a major issue.91Ƶ

He also said that while provincial governments tend to point to bail reform being a federal issue, it doesn91Ƶt absolve the provinces, including B.C., of not doing enough.

91ƵWe91Ƶre asking that whoever makes up the new government really be prepared to deliver a fulsome public safety plan, including what the bail-reform initiatives would look like 91Ƶ and not simply saying it91Ƶs a federal responsibility.

91ƵBecause it is not simply a federal responsibility. It91Ƶs a joint responsibility for both governments.91Ƶ

Many of the initiatives called for by the federation are echoed in a July 2023 report released by the group about Canadian bail reform.

In the report, the federation called for the provinces to improve data collection and sharing on criminal cases across Canada, which would give judges a more complete picture of a person91Ƶs criminal history when they make bail decisions.

Farrer said more investment in and deployment of bail-enforcement monitoring technology should also be a part of a comprehensive answer to repeat offenders in society, as well as standardized training qualifications for justices presiding over bail hearings.

91ƵIt91Ƶs not just us that91Ƶs saying it,91Ƶ Farrer said of the federation91Ƶs call for reform, noting an poll taken in August in B.C. commissioned by the group showed 82 per cent of those surveyed were concern about crime by repeat offenders.

91ƵI think that91Ƶs a very, very strong majority of people across the province 91Ƶ who think that the current systems are not meeting their needs. And as a result, we91Ƶre seeing these incidents like the one in Vancouver.91Ƶ

The National Police Federation is Canada91Ƶs largest police union that represents about 20,000 RCMP members both inside and outside the country.





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