VANCOUVER, BC — Today, BC Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau and Dana-Lyn Mackenzie, candidate for Vancouver-Yaletown, announced two major public safety reforms: the creation of a Taskforce for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S+), and the disbanding of the RCMP’s Critical Response Unit (formerly the Community Industry Response Group, CIRG).
“Systemic racism continues to plague British Columbia’s public safety institutions,” said Furstenau. “Indigenous women are disproportionately represented in missing and murdered persons statistics, while communities face excessive policing. The BC Greens are focused on creating a public safety system that uplifts, rather than tears down, marginalized communities.”
- MMIWG2S+ Taskforce: a dedicated task force focused on investigating the alarming number of cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI people. This taskforce will operate under civilian oversight from Indigenous communities, emphasizing women’s leadership and following the recommendations of the Red Women Rising report and the Reclaiming Power and Place report from the National Inquiry into MMIWG2S+
- Disbanding the Critical Response Unit: a branch of the RCMP responsible for defending industrial interests at the expense of public and Indigenous rights, the unit has harmed relations between law enforcement and communities. This change is essential in restoring trust and rebuilding public safety systems.
Indigenous women are missing or murdered at a rate 6 to 12 times higher than their non-Indigenous counterparts.
“For too long, the cases of our missing and murdered Indigenous women and two-spirit people have been ignored,” said Mackenzie. “This taskforce, grounded in Indigenous oversight, represents a crucial step toward truth, justice, and healing.
“My own family has a long history in what we now call murdered and missing Indigenous women. Every single life matters. Policing culture has to change, and the way we respond needs to be based in compassion and empathy. Colonialism has created horrific and long lasting rifts within our families, and the taskforce will honour those lives cut short far too early.”
Over 400 formal complaints have been filed against the RCMP’s Critical Response Unit for violating human rights, including cases of intimidation, brutality, and harassment. Many groups, including the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, have called for it to be disbanded.
“Under the BC NDP, the Critical Response Unit has sowed division and created mistrust between communities and law enforcement,” Furtsenau continued. “John Rustad wants to go even further in cracking down on groups who are concerned about the impacts of resource extraction on their communities and natural environment. Both these parties want to put industry profits ahead of people. It’s time to dismantle the CRU and rebuild a system that protects people, not corporate interests.”
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