Kelowna RCMP and the city have a hand in the success of a provincial program targeting specific crimes in B.C. communities.
The Repeat Violent Offender Initiative (RVOI) deals with violent repeat offenders and property crime.
Superintendent Kara Triance says the Kelowna Criminal Intelligence Team developed the methodology around how an individual is placed into the program.
The RVOI aligns BC Prosecution services, probation services, and the police in dealing with the same prioritized offenders who are placed in a hub.
“You’ll have the same prosecutor, and the same probation officer brought back before the courts to hear the matter and speak to the patterns of behaviour we’re seeing,” Triance said.
There are several hubs across the province, including the Central Okanagan which has 40 spots for repeat offenders.
Triance says the Central Okanagan hub has maxed out its spots but is set to receive five additional spaces.
Efforts by the city, including its Community Confidence in Justice Advocacy Paper, led to discussions with the province that led to the LePard-Butler Report and the RVOI.
That report outlined 28 recommendations to coordinate responses between health and justice agencies, including more mental health supports, and more prosecutors and probation officers.
“Kelowna got ahead of the work to be done,” adds Triance. “We’re leaders across B.C., not only prioritizing individuals for but managing those individuals and certainly seeing the results.”
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