B.C. Premier David Eby and public safety minister Mike Farnworth announced in April 2023 Nanaimo was one of the places included in the Repeat Violent Offending Intervention Initiative. (NanaimoNewsNOW/BC Government photos)

By Jordan Davidson

repeat offenders

36 repeat violent offenders identified in Nanaimo so far following launch of provincial initiative

Jan 5, 2024 | 5:26 AM

NANAIMO — The provincial program keeping track of repeat violent offenders is showing some promising results early on, according to the province.

The Repeat Violent Offending Intervention Initiative (ReVOII) was announced in March of 2023, which coordinates between prosecutors and public safety officers to identify and provide the appropriate response to repeat violent offenders.

The communities were chosen based on the greatest number of individuals under court order conditions or incarcerated, along with available community resources.

In April, the province announced Nanaimo was one of the 12 communities participating in ReVOII, along with committing $75,000 in provincial funding to the City of Nanaimo for its Downtown Nanaimo Safety Action Plan.

The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General said the program has been operating in Nanaimo since May 1, 2023, with Nanaimo RCMP confirming five officers, four Constables and a corporal, are focused on these offenders.

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As of Dec. 7, 2023, 36 individuals have been identified for the Nanaimo ReVOII hub.

How it works
Individuals get referred to the program by police and probation officers to see if they meet the criteria.

Once on the ReVOII list, that individual is under additional monitoring at a community level while dedicated prosecutors provide services and advice, which could mean additional charges and/or connecting the individual with appropriate community services.

The ministry said coordinated efforts between probation officers, the Crown, and police are “mitigating the potential risk that individuals may pose when they fail to abide by their conditions,” according to a statement provided to NanaimoNewsNOW.

Once on the ReVOII list, the “multi-agency response ensures that individuals are continuously monitored from investigation, charge assessment, bail, trial or plea and sentencing, through to enhanced release planning and ongoing case management of community supervision orders,” according to the ministry.

They cited examples of incidents which have occurred in Nanaimo since becoming a ReVOII community, including an individual who was remanded into custody on an “expedited basis” due to their ReVOII status after being initially arrested for threatening a woman in a park one afternoon.

In another case, a person was held in custody for theft and assault of a store security officer, instead of being released on an undertaking.

Another person was denied bail a subsequent time after they failed to report to the probation officer the day after their release.

Early results
While the ministry said more time must pass before the effectiveness of the program can be fully measured, early findings are promising across the province.

Kamloops RCMP reported a 3 per cent reduction in crime during the third quarter of 2023 compared to 2022, which they say is a direct result of being a ReVOII hub.

The ministry also reports how individuals with complex mental health challenges who are part of the ReVOII system are being assisted and connected to the necessary resources.

They referenced the case of a man who refused to take their medication within days of release, which resulted in them being apprehended under the Mental Health Act.

The B.C. Prosecution Service told NanaimoNewsNOW they are also already seeing progress on a case-by-case basis.

The ReVOII program was announced following growing pressure and concerns from residents province-wide about the growing issue of repeat offenders.

A number of community safety rallies were held in Nanaimo last year which brought more attention to these issues.

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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow