B.C. Premier David Eby says several city governments are on board with having a "secure site" to house and treat severely mentally ill and drug addicted people.
Eby told local politicians at the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference in Vancouver that public safety is a priority for cities, especially in downtown cores, where many people are seen "visibly" struggling with addictions.
Eby says 250 more RCMP officers have been added around the province in smaller communities that have been historically understaffed as complaints grow from business owners about vandalism and street disorder.
He says policing is only part of the solution, and needs to be paired with social supports, mental-health resources and housing to "address the issues that we face."
Eby says opening secure sites to deliver involuntary care in different regions will allow people who have been admitted to "stay closer to home" and maintain connections to their communities.
He says the first sites to offer the involuntary treatment include the Surrey pretrial centre and the Alouette Correctional Centre, while other buildings identified will require "minor renovations."
