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Public safety: what each party would do

What each of BC’s five parties has committed to on public safety, with Statistics Canada’s figures for extortion and crime severity in British Columbia since 2021.

Party sites checked October 6, 2026

Each party on public safety

  • BC Green

    No commitment published Checked Oct 6

  • BC NDP

    • Provide $500,000 yearly for three years to the Western Jewish Community Security Network

      A BC NDP government would provide $500,000 yearly to the Western Jewish Community Security Network to strengthen security at Jewish schools, synagogues and community centres across British Columbia. The funding would continue for three years.

      bcndp.ca: BC NDP commits to Jewish community security and summit to confront organized hate, October 5.

    • Convene a B.C. police summit to strengthen coordination on extremism investigations, intelligence and enforcement, if re-elected

      A re-elected BC NDP government would also convene a summit of police services from across British Columbia to strengthen coordination on investigations, intelligence and enforcement related to extremist activity.

      bcndp.ca: BC NDP commits to Jewish community security and summit to confront organized hate, October 5.

    • Press for a coordinated national approach to investigating and deterring white nationalist, supremacist and neo-Nazi activity

      Additionally, through the Federal-Provincial-Territorial ministers’ forum, it would press for a coordinated national approach to investigating and deterring white nationalist, white supremacist and neo-Nazi activity.

      bcndp.ca: BC NDP commits to Jewish community security and summit to confront organized hate, October 5.

  • CentreBC

    All CentreBC commitments on public safety Show three CentreBC commitments

  • Conservative

    No commitment published Checked Oct 6

  • OneBC

    • Keep the province out of any federal buy-back or confiscation program for legally acquired firearms

      No provincial government participation in any federal firearms buy-back or confiscation program for legally acquired firearms

      Plan page, 1bc.ca/priorities: Our Plan, 1bc.ca/priorities.

    • Create a provincial firearms storage program if a federal buy-back or confiscation risks legally obtained firearms

      Provincial firearms storage program in case federal buy-back or confiscation program risks taking a law-abiding British Columbian’s legally obtained firearms

      Plan page, 1bc.ca/priorities: Our Plan, 1bc.ca/priorities.

    All OneBC commitments on public safety Show three OneBC commitments
    • Crack down on repeat and violent offenders

      Crack down on repeat and violent offenders.

      Plan page, 1bc.ca/priorities: Our Plan, 1bc.ca/priorities.

    • Focus criminal justice resources on those committing most of the crime

      Focus the resources of the criminal justice system on those committing most of the crime.

      Plan page, 1bc.ca/priorities: Our Plan, 1bc.ca/priorities.

    • Instruct prosecutors to consider past charges or convictions as an indicator of future danger

      Prosecutors will be instructed to consider past charges or convictions of offenders as an indicator of future danger to the public.

      Plan page, 1bc.ca/priorities: Our Plan, 1bc.ca/priorities.

    • Disincentivise dropping charges against those who abuse the criminal justice system

      Dropping the charges against those who abuse the criminal justice system will be disincentivised.

      Plan page, 1bc.ca/priorities: Our Plan, 1bc.ca/priorities.

    • Protect ports and work with the federal government to counter organized international drug and firearms smugglers

      Protect our ports. Work with the federal government to counter the organized international criminal elements that smuggle drugs and firearms into our country.

      Plan page, 1bc.ca/priorities: Our Plan, 1bc.ca/priorities.

    • Ban mask wearing during protests

      No mask wearing during protests

      Plan page, 1bc.ca/priorities: Our Plan, 1bc.ca/priorities.

Policing and prosecution in plain words

What the B.C. Extortion Task Force is

  • The task force includes more than 40 police representatives from agencies including: B.C. RCMP, Surrey Police Service, Delta Police, Abbotsford Police, Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia (CFSEU-BC), Metro Vancouver Transit Police, Canada Border Services Agency. Stop extortion, gov.bc.ca, page last updated July 8, 2026
Stop extortion at gov.bc.ca

Who polices and who prosecutes now

  • The Province must police rural areas and municipalities of up to 5 000 people. A municipality of more than 5 000 must provide policing with its own department, by agreement with the provincial police service, or by agreement with another municipality’s department. Police Act, section 3
  • In BC, the Criminal Justice Branch of the Ministry of Attorney General approves and conducts prosecutions. Crown Counsel Act, section 2
  • A direction from the Attorney General to the head of the Criminal Justice Branch on a specific prosecution must be in writing and published in the Gazette; a directive on prosecution policy must be in writing. Crown Counsel Act, sections 5 and 6
  • Prosecutors’ bail policy tells them to seek detention of a repeat violent offender charged with an offence against the person or an offence involving a weapon, unless bail conditions can reduce the risk to public safety to an acceptable level. Policy BAI 1, effective July 15, 2026
  • The Repeat Violent Offending Intervention Initiative is led by BC Corrections. Its page lists 25 repeat offending hubs in communities across B.C. Repeat violent offending intervention, page last updated July 15, 2026
Read the Police Act at BC Laws

Crime figures and budget

Extortion, actual incidents, British Columbia, 2025 Statistics Canada, released 2026-07-22
2,693 Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0177-01
Extortion, total persons charged, British Columbia, 2025 Persons charged
72 Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0177-01
Crime severity index, British Columbia, 2025 An index; Statistics Canada, released 2026-07-22
92.37 Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0026-01
Violent crime severity index, British Columbia, 2025 An index; Statistics Canada
98.02 Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0026-01
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General operating expenses, 2026/27
$1,100,313,000 Estimates, fiscal year ending March 31, 2027, p. 164
Policing and Security operating expenses, 2026/27 Net. The Estimates print gross 624,253 and external recoveries (51,932), in thousands of dollars
$572,321,000 Estimates, fiscal year ending March 31, 2027, p. 165
Repeat Violent Offending Intervention Initiative funding $13 million in 2026/27 and $13 million in 2027/28; the table prints a dash for 2028/29. The table notes it includes allocations funded from the Contingencies Vote
$26 million Budget and Fiscal Plan 2026/27 to 2028/29, p. 25

The tables

Extortion [1620], British Columbia, by year

Statistics20212022202320242025
Actual incidents1,5312,4273,2162,8822,693
Rate per 100,000 population29.2945.2958.3150.8247.27
Cleared by charge6465726363
Total, persons charged6468726672

Source: Table 35-10-0177-01, Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, British Columbia, Extortion [1620].

Crime severity index, British Columbia, by year
Statistics20212022202320242025
Crime severity index96.44100.32104.5793.9092.37
Violent crime severity index95.42101.2697.6995.8998.02
Non-violent crime severity index97.66100.79108.2093.9090.89

Source: Table 35-10-0026-01, Crime severity index and weighted clearance rates, British Columbia.

Keep comparing

All 15 issues, compared Every party’s commitments on every issueCompare any two parties Side by side, issue by issueWho is running in your riding Every candidate, by riding

Each party’s page, at public safety

Sources