What B.C. is spending to help improve community safety

The 2025 B.C. budget is built to stay the course and cope with 25 per cent U.S tariffs, but it includes moderate spending to help communities grappling with crime, violence and social disorder.

The new fiscal plan worth nearly $95 billion in spending includes $560 million over three years to help with encampments, address repeat violent offending, and help target robbery, shoplifting and property-related offences.

Finance Minister Brenda Bailey said small businesses are the anchors of the province's economy but were "facing big challenges, including being hit with theft and vandalism far too often."

Part of the money — $16 million this year with $35 million in each of the next two years — is for "safer communities" initiatives, which the budget says will provide police with "enhanced tools, technology and investigative resources to curb these crimes."

The province said policing agencies across the province will be able to apply to the new Community Safety and Targeted Enforcement Program pilot for the funding of specific undertakings to deal with problems such as street-level crime. 

Those affected, including the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB), said any new programming around these issues was welcome, but that their members were suffering under a crush of theft, vandalism and loitering, along with waste and litter at their businesses.

"The time for a laid-back approach is past," said Emily Boston, a senior policy analyst with the CFIB.

She noted that B.C's Security Small Businesses Rebate Program is no longer accepting applications, which was an opportunity for small businesses to recoup up to $2,000 in losses when they did experience vandalism.

"It's a positive step to see government expanding supports generally in this area, but we've also seen now an absence moving forward of direct financial relief."

Justice spending

The budget also commits $24 million to improve capacity within and access to the province's justice system.

This includes new funding for virtual bail, the B.C. Coroner's Service and Victims' Services.

Specifically, the budget said spending would enhance security at the Vancouver Provincial Court at 222 Main Street.

In February 2024, there was an attack on a prosecutor near the courthouse. B.C.'s Crown Counsel Association said the incident underscored the need for a "serious discussion" about whether it should be moved away from the Downtown Eastside.

For the expansion of B.C.'s virtual bail system, Budget 2025 said it would enable bail hearings to be conducted in communities throughout the province, "providing more timely access to justice."

For homelessness, B.C. has had a program since 2023 to connect people living in encampments with health supports, shelter and housing options.

The HEART and HEARTH programs have resulted in 15 sites across the province, which offer 611 temporary supportive homes or shelter beds.

New for 2025 will be $90 million over the next three years to expand the programs in more communities.

"Funding will support community-based wrap-around supports, including leveraging village-like housing as alternatives to encampments," said the province.

New funding will also expand training capacity for police recruits by 50 per cent from 192 to 288 officers per year.