The national union for RCMP officers is seeking to make public safety and bail reform a British Columbia election issue after repeat offenders were arrested for violent crimes, including a pair of gruesome attacks in downtown Vancouver last week.

The National Police Federation says it has launched a 害羞草研究所減re-election program害羞草研究所� calling on the winner of the Oct. 19 election to deliver a 害羞草研究所渇ulsome public safety plan.害羞草研究所�

It describes the current bail system as 害羞草研究所渃atch and release害羞草研究所� and says there害羞草研究所檚 a lack of data-informed support and monitoring of repeat offenders, resulting in public safety being compromised.

Thirty-four-year-old Brendan McBride was arrested last week over what police are calling two stranger attacks in downtown Vancouver, resulting in the death of 70-year-old Francis Laporte, while another victim害羞草研究所檚 hand was cut off.

Court documents show that at the time of the attacks, McBride was on probation over an assault in White Rock, B.C., last September, and the man had been sentenced to 12 months of probation before that in July 2022 for a separate assault in North Vancouver.

National Police Federation vice-president Rob Farrer says the timing of the organization害羞草研究所檚 call ahead of the election was somewhat coincidental, since it was more of a response to recent cases such as the Vancouver stranger attacks.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not about the election per se,害羞草研究所� Farrer said. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e trying to make sure that we keep on top of this. We害羞草研究所檙e hearing from our officers, they害羞草研究所檙e seeing it every day and British Columbians and Canadians generally are seeing this as a major issue.害羞草研究所�

He also said that while provincial governments tend to point to bail reform being a federal issue, it doesn害羞草研究所檛 absolve the provinces, including B.C., of not doing enough.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e asking that whoever makes up the new government really be prepared to deliver a fulsome public safety plan, including what the bail-reform initiatives would look like 害羞草研究所� and not simply saying it害羞草研究所檚 a federal responsibility.

害羞草研究所淏ecause it is not simply a federal responsibility. It害羞草研究所檚 a joint responsibility for both governments.害羞草研究所�

Many of the initiatives called for by the federation are echoed in a July 2023 report released by the group about Canadian bail reform.

In the report, the federation called for the provinces to improve data collection and sharing on criminal cases across Canada, which would give judges a more complete picture of a person害羞草研究所檚 criminal history when they make bail decisions.

Farrer said more investment in and deployment of bail-enforcement monitoring technology should also be a part of a comprehensive answer to repeat offenders in society, as well as standardized training qualifications for justices presiding over bail hearings.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not just us that害羞草研究所檚 saying it,害羞草研究所� Farrer said of the federation害羞草研究所檚 call for reform, noting an poll taken in August in B.C. commissioned by the group showed 82 per cent of those surveyed were concern about crime by repeat offenders.

害羞草研究所淚 think that害羞草研究所檚 a very, very strong majority of people across the province 害羞草研究所� who think that the current systems are not meeting their needs. And as a result, we害羞草研究所檙e seeing these incidents like the one in Vancouver.害羞草研究所�

The National Police Federation is Canada害羞草研究所檚 largest police union that represents about 20,000 RCMP members both inside and outside the country.