New Funding Expands RCMP Hate Crimes Unit

The Province is stepping up its fight against hate-motivated offences by increasing the staffing capacity of the B.C. hate crimes unit, led by the B.C. RCMP.

“Any form of hate, whether it be through criminal acts or racist language, has no place in British Columbia,” said Garry Begg, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General.

“In response to rising acts of hate in our communities, our government is ensuring the B.C. hate crimes unit has the resources needed to investigate these crimes to the fullest extent possible to hold perpetrators to account.”

The Province is investing more than $734,000 to support the B.C. hate crimes unit by adding five additional RCMP officers and one intelligence analyst, increasing the unit’s capacity from two officers to a team of eight.

In British Columbia, police reported hate crimes rose by 23% from 2022 to 2023. Specifically, hate crimes motivated by race or ethnicity increased by 12%, those linked to religion surged by more than 50% and incidents related to sexual orientation jumped by 43%.

The funding will strengthen investigations throughout the criminal-justice process by ensuring police are equipped with the necessary information and required evidence for prosecutors to conduct thorough charge assessments.

It will also support court processes through expert testimony and help support witnesses and victims of hate-motivated crimes.

Public Safety Canada is providing $4 million to the B.C. government through the Shift B.C. program, which focuses on preventing radicalized violence by offering support to individuals at risk.

Funding is supporting eight police agencies and two non-profit agencies to build capacity and enhance operations to address public-order challenges, improve hate-crime reporting, bolster the safety and security of places of worship, and respond to threats that are motivated by extremism against elected public officials.

To learn more, visit Government of British Columbia.