Earlier this month, Research Co. conducted a survey on behalf of the Save Our Streets (SOS) Coalition. Some of the findings were not surprising, such as having a majority of the province’s residents (55 per cent) say that criminal activity has increased in their community or seeing more than four in five (84 per cent) favour investing in new and enhanced facilities for the care of people experiencing mental health problems.
Two aspects of the survey are decidedly eye-opening: A clear province-wide consensus on specific matters related to addiction and treatment, and an extremely low level of confidence in the justice system.
More than four in five British Columbians (82 per cent) describe addiction to opioids as a health issue and just over two thirds (67 per cent, up six points since May 2023) say the current situation related to the use of prescription and non-prescription opioid drugs in their community is a “major problem.”
The issue of decriminalization has long been discussed along partisan lines. More than half of British Columbians (58 per cent, up eight points) disagree with carrying on with a process that would essentially allow any drug to be readily available for personal use. This includes majorities of respondents who voted for the BC Liberals (59 per cent), the BC Green Party (52 per cent) and the BC NDP (51 per cent) in the 2020 provincial election.
Sizable majorities of residents endorse five other proposals: launching more education and awareness campaigns about drug use (83 per cent, up five points), creating more spaces for drug rehabilitation (81 per cent, unchanged), reducing the prescription of opioids by medical professionals (77 per cent, up eight points), establishing “safe supply” programs where alternatives to opioids, can be prescribed by health professionals (63 per cent, unchanged) and setting up more “harm reduction” strategies, such as legal supervised injection sites (53 per cent, down three points). For most residents, as was the case last year, this is not a matter of choosing sides but ensuring that all tools remain accessible.
Three in four British Columbians (75 per cent) agree with the existing guideline from the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, which contemplates involuntary treatment options for individuals under specific circumstances. Once again, there is agreement across ideological lines, with 84 per cent of BC Green voters in 2020—and 81 per cent of those who voted for the BC NDP or the BC Liberals four years ago—saying this is the correct mandate.
There is a deep sense of dissatisfaction with the status quo. Practically nine in 10 of the province’s residents (88 per cent) think that crimes “definitely” or “probably” go unreported in British Columbia. When we asked these respondents why they believe this is the case, more than two thirds of them (68 per cent) cited a lack of confidence in the justice system. Fewer people blamed the hassle of reporting (50 per cent), lack of confidence in the police (47 per cent) or fear of retribution (38 per cent).
A regional analysis shows specific areas of the province where the notion of an unfulfilling justice system is particularly high. At least seven in 10 residents of Central and Northern Vancouver Island (70 per cent), Southern Vancouver Island (71 per cent), the Kootenays (75 per cent), Southern B.C. (77 per cent) and Prince George and the Cariboo (85 per cent) feel crimes go unreported because victims do not trust the individuals who ultimately make decisions.
When British Columbians were asked about specific entities that deal with crime and public safety in their community, only 39 per cent express “complete confidence” or “moderate confidence” in the justice system. The rating is higher for municipal governments (43 per cent), the provincial government (45 per cent) and the police (61 per cent), and lower only for the federal government (36 per cent).
The level of support for two proposals is particularly overwhelming. More than four in five British Columbians would modify the bail system to ensure that repeat offenders remain in custody while awaiting trial (87 per cent) and are willing to establish harsher penalties, including incarceration, for individuals convicted of multiple offences (86 per cent).
Earlier this month, crime and public safety was identified as one of the issues where Premier and BC NDP leader David Eby trails John Rustad of the BC Conservatives. The responses to these questions show that British Columbians want different levels of government to work together. Nobody would benefit from an endless barrage of jurisdictional arguments, especially at a time when the federal government has become the de facto whipping boy for anything that goes wrong in the province.
In previous campaigns, concerns about public safety were regarded as a Metro Vancouver problem. The survey shows that the preoccupation is no longer confined to a few blocks in a few municipalities. The solutions that residents want to see will require more than ideology. Bail reform, for instance, will indubitably involve the government-to-government approach that British Columbians currently yearn for.
Mario Canseco is president of Research Co.
Results are based on an online survey conducted from September 9-12, 2024, among 1,200 adult residents of British Columbia. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region in B.C. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is plus or minus 2.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
