WATCH: BC Conservatives unveil plan to address street disorder, improve public safety

The BC Conservatives are promising to hire and deploy 250 additional police officers as part of a public safety plan aimed at addressing street disorder, drug use, and property crime across the province.

The party’s “Safe Streets for BC” plan would expand training at the Justice Institute of British Columbia’s Police Academy in New Westminster by 20% for five years, increasing annual capacity from approximately 290 recruits to 340.

The Conservatives would also eliminate tuition for new police recruits and fund the hiring of additional officers across the province.

The plan includes a separate commitment to add 500 RCMP officers and 150 civilian employees over five years, with a focus on rural and regional communities.

The party is also proposing changes to how police respond to people experiencing severe mental illness and addiction.

Under the plan, the Conservatives would amend the Mental Health Act to give police greater authority to intervene when officers have reasonable and probable grounds to believe someone has committed a criminal offence and has a drug addiction.

The party is also promising an independent review of the Mental Health Act and expanded access to psychiatric services, community mental health care, crisis response, and residential treatment.

In a follow-up statement, BC Conservative candidate for Vancouver-Yaletown Margareta Dovgal said the plan would help address street disorder in Vancouver’s downtown core.

“Granville Street is the heart of our city’s entertainment district, and everyone who visits, lives, or works on Granville deserves better,” Dovgal said. “For too long visitors, local business owners, and food and retail workers alike have all been struggling with unmitigated street disorder.”

Dovgal blamed the situation on NDP policies and said a Conservative government would focus on treatment and recovery for people experiencing addiction and mental illness.

On the justice system, the Conservatives would hire 50 additional Crown prosecutors and work with Ottawa to fund 20 more provincial and federal trial judges, along with additional sheriffs and court support staff.

The plan also calls for increased enforcement against fentanyl and other illegal synthetic drugs and would end BC’s prescribed safer supply program while expanding access to naloxone and opioid agonist treatment.

The Conservatives would also prohibit illegal drug use in hospitals, shelters, and publicly funded supportive housing.

The party says the measures are aimed at addressing concerns about property crime, street disorder, addiction, and public safety across BC.

British Columbians head to the polls Oct. 24.