B.C. Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Garry Begg announced on Friday (July 4) that the province is putting up $734,000 for five more RCMP officers and an intelligence analyst to be added to the hate crime unit.
"Funding will also strengthen efforts to address hate-motivated crimes throughout our criminal justice process by ensuring that prosecutors have the necessary evidence for charge approvals," said Begg, a former RCMP officer.
The hate crime unit will now consist of seven officers.
Statistics presented by the B.C. government show that police-reported hate crimes rose 23 per cent from 2022 to 2023. Of these, hate crimes related to religion rose 50 per cent, and hate crimes linked to sexual orientation rose 43 per cent.
This funding is part of a $230 million provincial investment in the RCMP.
B.C. is the only province with a dedicated hate-crime unit.
