Community Safety & Crime Prevention

About Us

Community safety and crime prevention programs are developed and delivered by the Victim Services and Crime Prevention Division of the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Policing and Community Safety Branch. See ministry organization chart. PDF File - Acrobat Reader Required - See Help

The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General (PSSG) works to maintain and enhance public safety across British Columbia. The portfolio of the ministry includes: corrections; coroners services; law enforcement; crime prevention; victim services; hazard mitigation; emergency management and response; road safety; fire prevention, life safety and property protection; liquor and gaming regulation; consumer protection; crystal meth secretariat; civil forfeiture; and human trafficking. The Solicitor General is also responsible for three Crown corporations and agencies: the Liquor Distribution Branch; the B.C. Lottery Corporation; and the Insurance Corporation of B.C.
   
Policing and
Community Safety
Branch		 The Policing and Community Safety Branch contributes to the ministry’s public safety mandate to secure and enhance the safety of B.C.’s communities and residents. The Branch superintends law enforcement functions in the province, oversees the private security industry and provides public safety programs.
   
Victim Services and Crime Prevention Division The Victim Services and Crime Prevention Division provides a comprehensive response to crime through a range of services from crime prevention to support for victims and survivors. As the provincial centre of responsibility for victims issues, restorative justice and crime prevention the division develops policies and programs, provides training, and delivers and funds programs.

The division offers community safety and crime prevention programs that:

  • provide leadership, advice, training and expertise on community safety issues;
  • establish and maintain partnerships with organizations, communities and government to ensure coordinated and comprehensive services;
  • provide funding to community and youth organizations, local governments, school districts and police departments to support projects that enhance public safety and local crime prevention efforts (Safe Streets and Safe Schools Fund);
  • provide operational funding to key community justice and crime prevention organizations to support services to communities throughout British Columbia;
  • provide funding to support the development of volunteer-based community accountability programs that embrace the principles of restorative justice;
  • support and oversee the Youth Against Violence Line, an automated telephone service (1-800-680-4264) and e-mail link that provide safe, confidential means of preventing and reporting incidents of youth violence or crime or seeking assistance from local police;
  • administer the annual Solicitor General Community Safety and Crime Prevention Awards which recognize individuals, groups and programs that have made outstanding contributions to crime prevention and community safety; and,
  • on behalf of the Assistant Deputy Ministers’ Committee on Prostitution and Sexual Exploitation of Youth, provide project funding to assist communities in developing local initiatives to address sexual exploitation of youth and prostitution-related issues.

The division also offers programs that support victims and their families. See the Victims Services website for more details.