The BC Liberals are promising to invest in integrated police and mental health teams to free up police resources to deal with “growing street disorder.”
BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson outlined the plan, which includes increasing the capacity of existing integrated mobile crisis response teams and funding more police officers to respond to crime and mental health-related emergency calls throughout the province.
“John Horgan and the NDP haven’t taken these issues seriously at all,” Wilkinson said.
“We need to give first responders the right tools to deal effectively with mental health-related events and their staffing to ensure public safety.”
The BC Liberals cited statistics showing a 21-per-cent rise in aggravated assaults and assaults with a weapon in Vancouver this year.
The $58-million investment will fund the hiring of 200 additional police officers across the province and 100 more psychiatric social workers/nurses. It will also include the hiring of 40 additional, full-time Crown prosecutors and additional support staff to process charges and hear criminal trials in the court system.
The Liberals said they are committed to providing the B.C. Prosecution Service with tools to reduce delays, aggressively crack down on crime, and improve public safety.
“We need to strike the right balance by making sure the police have the tools to do their jobs and working with mental health professionals to tackle both issues together,” Wilkinson said.
“Everyone in B.C. needs to feel safe and supported. Our law enforcement teams play a key role and deserve our support and the best available tools to ensure public safety for everyone.”
Earlier Wednesday, the NDP promised to launch a 10-year cancer action plan that includes new cancer centres in Nanaimo and Kamloops.
NDP leader John Horgan said his government will work closely with BC Cancer and provincial health authorities to establish the plan.
In the first five years of the plan the NDP is promising patients will have one point of contact across their cancer care journey and new clinicians will be hired to meet demand.
“A cancer diagnosis has touched nearly every family, including my own,” Horgan said Wednesday.
“Under our plan, British Columbians will receive better care that’s closer to home as they go through their cancer journey.”
The plan also includes genomic testing for entire families. Existing cancer centres will be renovated and upgraded.
Horgan, a cancer survivor himself, has focused on investing in cancer care centres, including a previous announcement of adding one to the new Surrey hospital project. There will be a new cancer centre in Burnaby as well.
The plan includes an “anywhere/anytime commitment” so that all cancer patients get information and care where and when they need it. This includes an additional effort around rural communities.
The costed budget estimates of the cancer centre investment will be $50 million in 2020-21, $100 million in 2021-22 and $300 million in 2022-23, according to the party.
Horgan’s platform also includes a commitment to establish a second medical school in B.C. There has been no decision yet on where the school will be located.
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