Public Safety Minister Garry Begg announced on Friday (June 20) that the province is boosting funding for a special investigations program targeting repeat violent offenders.
"We know that the increase in repeat violent offending continues to be top of mind for most British Columbians," Begg said in an announcement in Surrey, where he at one time served as an RCMP officer. "Every day our police see the devastating impact these crimes have on innocent individuals, families and communities."
The Special Investigations and Targeted Enforcement (SITE) program, introduced in 2023, has contributed to 5,425 investigations resulting in 2,676 charges being laid. A $6-million funding boost announced by Begg will bring the total funding for the program to $17 million.
So far, SITE has funded 128 police operations in 29 communities.
Funding is administered by the RCMP and given to local police agencies based on specific needs. Local police create their own enforcement programs and apply for the money.
While Begg touted the program's success in tamping down violent crime, he faced several questions about bail reform and recent high-profile cases of violent offenders being arrested and released before committing horrendous crimes.
Begg said these offenders getting out on bail makes police feel "constrained" at times, and the provincial government is trying to pressure the federal government to make the bail system stricter.
"We have lobbied hard with the federal government," he said.
Police promote SITE success stories
The Vancouver Police Department credits SITE-funded initiatives for a 27-per-cent drop in violent crime in Hastings Crossing and a 45-per-cent drop in weapons-related assaults in Gastown from October 2024 to January 2025.
In Abbotsford, the SITE-funded Project Spotlight targeted repeat violent offenders involved in property crime. This initiative used $643,000 to pay for extra patrols and surveillance, which led to 108 people being charged with 271 offences.
It has also been used for even more specific action. In Kelowna, $216,000 was used to help pay for an operation targeting a single repeat violent offender's property. This led to five people being charged with crimes, as well as the recovery of stolen vehicles and the seizure of drugs and firearms. Police even found a live grenade.
In Surrey, the program was used by the transit police to disrupt drug trafficking. Begg said police seized 34 kilograms of fentanyl in the operation, enough for 2 million lethal doses.
Vancouver Police Superintendent Andrew Chan appeared alongside Begg and said the fund helps with interagency coordination, which makes it easier for different police departments to work together to target high-risk individuals.
He said police have long advocated for this approach and called for the province to make the three-year program permanent.
