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Host Peter McCully chats with Black Press Media Journalist Lauren Collins who examines policing transitions in B.C.
Collins spoke with SFU criminology professor Robert Gordon, and a former police officer himself, and tells McCully what he had to say regarding restoration of provincial police service in B.C. and the creation of at least three regional police services.
‘The all-party committee report that was done on reforming police, the police act in B.C., which, was released a couple of years ago now after some public and public consultation, extensive public and professional consultation that, all party committee, was unanimous in its recommendations that amongst other things, there’d be a provincial police service to replace the RCMP, coupled with regional police services.’
As Collins explains, at a news conference Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth was asked if now is the time to be starting the conversation toward regionalization.
‘I know it’s very much a topic of discussion,” Farnworth said, noting there’s a “significant amount” of work and consultation involved with local governments, whether it was on the lower Island or Metro Vancouver.’
Last November, Premier David Eby promised $230 million over the next three years in police funding for 250-270 RCMP vacancies in rural detachments and regional units, as well as to hire more officers for specialized units such as major crime, the sexual exploitation of children unit and money laundering.
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