The B.C. government said police are facing 356 unsolved killings on Thursday, a startling statistic revealed during the announcement of a new gang homicide investigation team.
The new team has been created to try and address the recent wave of gang violence over the past few years across the province and to expand capacity.
It will prioritize “complex” gang-related homicides in an effort to catch those responsible and “disrupt gang activity.”
“Gang violence and organized crime impacts all of us, and we are co-ordinating with local, provincial and federal agencies to ensure we are taking the right steps to keep people safe and hold those responsible for gang-related activities accountable for their actions,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
“This is a top priority for our government. We are continuing to work alongside our policing partners to curb gang violence, and the development of this team is an important step forward in this collective responsibility.”
The new team, which will be called the Integrated Gang Homicide Team (IGHT), will work alongside other agencies to leverage experts including the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, the Organized Crime Agency of British Columbia and the RCMP Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT).
“For over 20 years, we have utilized an integrated policing approach, successfully investigating and prosecuting those responsible for the most egregious crimes, including members of organized crime groups who have, time and again, neglected public safety in furtherance of their own personal agendas,” said Supt. Mandeep Mooker, officer in charge of IHIT.
“Now in 2024, as the gang landscape evolves, so must our approach to keeping Canadians safe.”
The province said gang-related homicides have risen from 21 per cent of all homicides in B.C. to 46 per cent in the last two decades.
The new team will take cases off of the RCMP Integrated Homicide Investigation Team’s plate, which will allow that team to focus on the backlog of unsolved cases.
It will consist of 18 positions including five civilian support personnel and seven officers, as well as five existing RCMP members from B.C.’s Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit. The team will operate under an existing homicide investigation team member.
The new team is expected to be fully functional by late 2024 or early 2025.
Global News has reached out to the province to clarify the timeline of the 356 unsolved killings.
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