BC Premier David Eby is promising 230-million dollars over the next three years to hire 277 RCMP officers across the province. Eby says the money will be used to fill vacancies in rural RCMP detachments and regional units, as well as to hire more officers for specialized units such as major crime, the sexual exploitation of children unit and money laundering. The money will also support prosecutors and probation officers dealing with violent, high-risk offenders. The announcement is the latest in a series of commitments Eby has made since being sworn in last week.
The first two pieces of legislation proposed by new Premier David Eby are expected to be passed later today, right before the legislature adjourns until February. The Housing Supply Act and Building and Strata Statutes Amendment Act were introduced Monday. The two bills aim to increase housing supply with measures that will end several rental restrictions and could force local governments to meet housing growth targets. The NDP government has faced criticism from the Opposition Liberals for imposing time limits on debate to push the bills through quickly.
Police have identified an 18-year-old stabbing victim killed in Surrey. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says Mehakpreet Sethi was stabbed outside Tamanawis Secondary School on Tuesday and died shortly after. A 17-year-old has been arrested in the case. Police say it’s believed the suspect and the victim were known to each other and that this was not associated with the Lower Mainland gang conflict.
Elections BC has fined new Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto 150-dollars for failing to include mandatory authorization statements in some of her campaign advertising. Campaign ads are required to include the name of the financial agent, that it was authorized by the financial agent, and other information. Alto’s campaign claimed the mistake was an error of omission and Elections BC has concluded it would not likely have misled voters. Three other capital region candidates, who were not elected, were fined for similar reasons.
Mounties have issued a warning after a North Vancouver man received a phone call from scammers claiming to have kidnapped his wife and demanding ransom. Police say during the call, which appeared to be coming from the woman’s phone, a female voice could be heard in the background. Officers were able to locate the man’s spouse and determine the kidnapping was a hoax. He did not give the scammers any money.