Premier Eby lays out ambitious public safety plan for B.C. But can he deliver?
CTV
Some 48 hours after he took his oath of office, B.C. Premier David Eby held a rare weekend press conference with a clear strategy: to convey to the public that he's on top of the biggest issues of the day, and willing to work overtime to address them.
Some 48 hours after he took his oath of office, B.C. Premier David Eby held a rare weekend press conference with a clear strategy: to convey to the public they should see him as being on top of the biggest issues of the day, and willing to work overtime to address them.
Flanked by three cabinet ministers, four of the top police officials in the region, community leaders and the Vancouver mayor, Eby drew dozens of journalists to one of the highest points of the city to announce an ambitious plan to deal with the province’s public safety issues with the city literally at his back.
"I told you I’d hit the ground running," Eby told reporters in a phrase perfect for sound bytes, as he faced tough questions about the “Safer Communities Action Plan”, which would be overseen and spear-headed by the province.
"Coordination between prosecutors, police, probation officers, non-profit service providers, healthcare workers -- this is what's going to provide safer communities,” he said summarizing the plan, which was announced in a 5,00-word-long press release.
The key components of the strategy, Eby said, are focussing on repeat offenders, expanding counselling and mental health response teams, and laying out a smoother route from emergency crisis response to long-term treatment.
Howver, Eby was vague on how he’d determine if the plan is working.
“There are going to be some visible differences we're looking for,” he said. “We're going to go head-on at the encampments people are seeing in their communities, the issue of visible mental health and addiction distress in their communities.”
