The B.C. Prosecution Service says it has identified the Crown counsels who will make up the five regional teams dedicated to dealing with repeat violent offenders.
The teams' members, consisting of 21 prosecutors in total, will go through a transition this month and begin "full operations" on May 1, the BCPS said in a statement issued last week..
The Northern region will be home to one of the teams. They will provide criminal law advice, and independent prosecutorial support and services in conjunction with 12 community hubs, one of them to be base in Prince George.
"Each regional team will have members who live and work in the communities in the region, are familiar with local issues and concerns, and have established working relationships with local police officers and corrections staff," BCPS said.
"The work of the dedicated Crown Counsel teams will involve collaboration and improved information sharing with probation officers, correctional supervisors, and police agencies throughout the province. This collaboration will be undertaken in a manner that maintains and conforms with the constitutional requirement of prosecutorial independence."
Also last week, during a session in the provincial legislature the opposition B.C. Liberals highlighted a number of random attacks on strangers in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island.
An attempt to gather data through a freedom of information request showing whether a ministerial directive on bail reform has had any effect since it was issued in November was denied, the opposition also said.
