The B.C. government is investing $16 million to expand a provincewide program aimed at repeat property offenders, saying the move will help address street disorder and crimes targeting businesses. As part of the expansion, seven new intervention and monitoring hubs are being added in the Lower Mainland, bringing the regional total to 11. The province says 365 repeat offenders are currently being monitored in the Lower Mainland through the repeat violent offender initiative and the Chronic Property Offending Intervention Initiative (C-POII). Vancouver will have four hubs overseeing 160 offenders. The announcement was made Thursday at the Gastown-Hastings Crossing Community Policing Centre in Vancouver, where residents and business owners continue to grapple with concerns about theft and public safety. Among them is Gastown resident Dina Gohary, who says walking through the neighbourhood, particularly at night, can be unsettling. “There’s like constantly people walking through going through episodes—you never know what they’re going to do,” Gohary said. Just steps away from the community policing centre, a local smoke and snack shop regularly deals with theft. The store’s manager, who did not want to appear on camera, told CTV News shoplifters are such a persistent problem that locks have been added to freezers containing popsicles and ice cream. According to the Ministry of Public Safety, many repeat offenders involved in crimes such as theft, shoplifting, vandalism and public disorder also face challenges related to housing instability, mental health and substance use. The province says the initiative is intended to provide both enhanced supervision and additional supports. Terry Yung, B.C.’s minister of state for community safety, said the program is designed to hold offenders accountable while addressing the factors contributing to repeat offences. “It’s the fact that if they offend, they get arrested; there’s a dedicated team of prosecutors to monitor the charges being approved, to have probation officers, corrections officers, integrated services workers, mental health people to address the overall underlying causation of the offending,” said Yung. The province says up to 865 repeat offenders across British Columbia are now being monitored through the repeat violent offender and chronic property offender programs. Officials say participants are identified based on their criminal history and risk of reoffending. Police say the approach builds on a similar initiative focused on repeat violent offenders that has operated in Vancouver since 2023. Vancouver police Insp. Shiv Gill said the program gives police more opportunities to intervene before offences escalate. “The expanded C-POII program gives us tools to intervene earlier, supervise more effectively, and reduce the harm caused by chronic offenders,” Gill said. Yung also pointed to recent federal bail reforms under Bill C-14, saying they should make it harder for some repeat offenders to obtain bail. Still, some residents remain skeptical. Gohary says she has heard promises of change before and wants to see tangible results. “If you make it happen, great, but until then, we’re hearing it. Let’s see it,” she said. The province says 25 hubs in 19 communities across British Columbia will be involved in the expanded program.
