David Eby, who launched the plan just two days after being sworn in as British Columbia's 37th premier, said it has two key tracks.
The province intends to deploy response teams comprised of police, prosecutors and probation officers who will focus on repeat offenders. It will also be adding 12 mental health response teams in communities across the province, some of which will be Indigenous-led. It plans to revamp the addictions care model at Vancouver's St. Paul's Hospital that"moves people seamlessly from crisis response in our emergency rooms and our streets to detox, to treatment and to supportive housing." Eby said it will be used as a model for the rest of the province.
"No one agency, prosecutors and police, nonprofit organizations, cities of the province or the federal government can solve this problem. Everybody's got to be working together and collaboration is key."