(b)

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: May 26, 1998

Author/Local: J.Rogers/7626

CC File No. 3144

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Urban Safety Commission
SUBJECT:	Urban Safety Commission's Youth Crime Strategy

RECOMMENDATIONS

A.THAT Council endorse the recommendations of the Urban Safety Commission on a Youth Crime Strategy for the City of Vancouver, which includes:

i)Crime Prevention - encouraging programming to address the social and institutional factors associated with criminal activity before a youth begins committing crimes;

ii)Legislative Changes to the Young Offenders' Act - ensuring the Act deals more effectively with violent and repeat offenders.

B.That Council forward the Urban Safety Commission's report on a Youth Crime Strategy for Vancouver to the Federal Minister of Justice, and to the Provincial Attorney-General, highlighting the need to make adequate federal funding available to ensure the viability of implementing the new Youth Strategy.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to seek Council's endorsement of the Youth Crime Strategy developed by the Urban Safety Commission. A detailed report outlining this strategy is attached.

BACKGROUND

The Urban Safety Commission was created in 1997 to provide strategic advice to the City of Vancouver on crime and safety issues affecting the quality of life of Vancouver's citizens. In late 1997, the Commission identified youth crime as one of several areas in need of special attention.

The 1997 Vancouver crime statistics produced by the Ministry of the Attorney-General illustrate the degree to which youth crime negatively impacts on the citizens of Vancouver.

·Vancouver youth make up 30% of all persons charged with robbery, and 29% of all persons charged with motor vehicle theft.

·220··In 1997, 1,266 youths were charged with criminal offences in Vancouver --998 males and 268 females.·220

The Urban Safety Commission spent the few months researching this issues while simultaneously engaging in a thorough consultation process with experts from around the lower mainland. As a result, the Commission endorsed a two-pronged strategy focusing on:

1)Crime Prevention, to provide the necessary supports to help prevent youth from becoming involved in criminal activity in the first place, as well as on

2)Legislative Changes to the Young Offenders' Act, to crack down on violent and repeat offenders.

The attached position paper outlines a number of recommendations made by the Commission to further develop and implement the above strategy.

DISCUSSION

As a result of their commitment to this two-pronged approach, the Commission has endorsed a Diversion and Restorative Justice program currently being developed by the Park Board with support from members of the Mayor's Coalition on Crime Prevention and Drug Treatment. As well, the Commission recommended that the Young Offenders' Act be changed to adopt a sentencing escalation system introducing stronger sentences for violent and repeat offenders. Both of these recommendations are extremely timely in that they parallel the direction taken by the Minister of Justice in the recently released Federal position paper on youth justice.

In light of the Federal Government's intentions to introduce legislative changes to the current youth justice system, it is imperative that Vancouver act quickly to make its opinions known before the proposed legislation is formally drafted and introduced.

CONCLUSION

Youth crime clearly has a negative impact on the citizens of Vancouver. By adopting a two-pronged strategy, placing strong emphasis on prevention, while simultaneously calling for a sentencing escalation system that adopts a "softer" approach for first and second time offenders, while taking a tough stand with violent and repeat offenders, Council would be endorsing a strategy that offers support to youth at risk while sending a clear message that crime does not pay.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver