The Province is crediting public safety investments for hundreds of criminal charges being laid and the seizure of hundreds of illegal weapons, drugs and stolen property throughout B.C.

“Police in our province play a vital role in keeping our communities safe, and we are dedicated to ensuring they have the support and resources they need to continue doing their job effectively,” said Nina Krieger, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General.

“Last year was a strong year for public safety investments that helped police address repeat violent offending and target street disorder and retail theft in our downtown communities.”

Introduced in 2023, the Special Investigation and Targeted Enforcement (SITE) program was launched to provide operational funding for police departments to enhance proactive enforcement and investigative techniques to address repeat violent offending and disrupt the cycle of crime.

Introduced last year, the Community Safety and Targeted Enforcement (CSTEP) program boosts police efforts to tackle street disorder and retail theft affecting businesses and downtown communities.

Since its launch, SITE has supported 175 police operations in 47 communities, resulting in more than 6,200 investigations into individuals, 219 of whom were supported by the Repeat Violent Offending Intervention Initiative.

More than 3,000 charges were recommended by police, as well as substantial seizures of weapons, drugs and other items, such as drug-packaging equipment, stolen property and cash, as proceeds of crime.

The CSTEP program has supported 40 police operations in 26 communities.

That resulted in 336 investigations into individuals, and 43 charges laid, along with the recovery of substantial merchandise stolen from businesses and cash as proceeds of crime.

B.C.’s Crime Severity Index fell 11% in 2024 to its lowest level in six years, marking the largest drop in the country.

For more information, visit Government of British Columbia.