City of Kelowna report on repeat offenders says the system is failing British Columbians

The City of Kelowna is once again calling on higher levels of government to act immediately to improve public safety across British Columbia.

On Monday, councillors received a rundown on Chronic Offenders – Closing the Revolving Door, an advocacy paper delivered by the City to provincial and federal political leaders.

According to the City, it’s a document loaded with evidence demonstrating how the public safety system is failing British Columbians.

The report urges concrete action from the provincial and federal governments on bail reform and investments in additional BC Prosecution Service staff.

It outlines an alarming trend in Kelowna, seen in many communities across BC and Canada, regarding the amount of crimes being committed by a small number of repeat offenders.

According to the paper, 15 people accounted for 1,335 police files in Kelowna in 2024, an average of 89 each and a negative contact with the RCMP every four days.

Another alarming statistic is that the rate of reported incidents of crime in Kelowna increased 5.5% between 2014-24, but the local charge rate decreased by 48.5% in that same timeframe.

The paper claims that crime rate increase is consistent with the rest of Canada, but the drastic decrease in charge rate is four times higher than the national average.

Kelowna has also seen a four-fold increase in non-compliance with conditions among offenders released on bail, the report states, providing another example of bail being too lenient.

The federal Liberals, including Kelowna MP Stephen Fuhr in July, have promised that legislation on bail reform will be tabled during the fall session that began earlier this month.

“It is critical that legislators craft laws which are effective on our streets – for cities of all sizes – and that the persistent negative impact of repeated property crime is captured within legislative reforms,” the paper urges.

Kelowna-Mission MLA Gavin Dew says the Chronic Offenders report “confirms what communities across BC already know.”

“A small number of repeat offenders are driving a disproportionate amount of crime while cycling endlessly through a broken justice system,” a statement from Dew noted.

"Conservatives support the report’s call for more Crown prosecutors, streamlined charge approval and dedicated chronic offender units to finally close the revolving door and restore public safety."

Dew also praised the City’s “data-driven approach” to measure the true toll of the revolving-door justice system in BC.

"We need to support law enforcement and the justice system – and that means setting it up for success,” he added.

"We also need to address upstream issues of mental health, addiction and homelessness, including through mandatory secure care."

To view the Chronic Offenders – Closing the Revolving Door advocacy paper in full, click this link.