CANADA, February 17 - Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, has released the following statement in recognition of the BC Prosecution Service changes to their hate crimes policy:

“Today’s changes from the BC Prosecution Service (BCPS) sets clear direction for police officers to support victims and survivors, and to ensure they mount successful investigations against those who commit hate crimes happening to people in our communities.

“British Columbia, like the rest of Canada, has witnessed a worrying rise in police-reported hate crimes over the last several years. Despite these increases in hate crimes, they remain among the least-reported offences. It is clear we have more work to do to ensure that people feel comfortable reporting hate crimes to the police.

“The reporting of any hate-motivated incident can help police to find the perpetrator and bring them to justice. It will also allow to better target crime prevention efforts in communities and identify trends and repeat perpetrators.

“We know that a single incident can affect the wider community and that hate is targeted. That’s why we have worked with police to expand accessible online hate reporting options in multiple languages to reduce barriers to reporting to ensure that people can access these services.

“I commend the BCPS for these changes they have made to their policy on hate crimes. They will have meaningful impact on the lives of people throughout our province.”