The government of British Columbia has announced that the first 10 involuntary care beds at the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre are ready for patients in the criminal justice system.
Premier David Eby said additional spots will be opening "later this spring" for the general public.
During a press conference on Thursday, he explained that the first 10 beds are reserved for those "struggling with mental health, struggling with addiction, struggling with brain injury," such as "the person lying in the street unable to care for themselves being exploited by others, the person walking down the street yelling at passers-by, the individual involved in a violent stranger attack against somebody else."
When a reporter brought up the case of a man who assaulted a female tourist in Vancouver just days earlier, Eby said this was exactly the type of person who the beds were for.
Eby called the incident "very disturbing," noting there were "serious concerns about the mental health of the individual who perpetrated this attack."
"I'm very hopeful that there will be interventions to ensure this individual does not repeat his cycle of violence," he added.
The premier made it clear, however, that the intended recipients of such care belonged to a "very small cohort of people," and that those who use drugs but don't necessarily meet the other criteria will not be involuntarily committed.
A number of BC Conservative MLAs said the move didn't do enough to address the issue.
"BC is sorely lacking in prevention and early intervention supports to help people before something violent happens or they end up in the justice system," Critic for Mental Health and Addictions Claire Rattée said. "Thousands of British Columbians are begging for help with mental health and substance use and can't access it. This government must urgently scale up treatment for people who need support, fix the broken system that keeps turning them away, and focus on addressing root causes like trauma, poverty and mental health disorders."
Her sentiments wer shared by colleague Elenore Sturko, who urged Eby to prioritize "compassionate intervention legislation that combines community-based programs, and bed-based involuntary treatment when necessary."
"Many individuals, including kids at risk of harm to themselves or others don’t meet the criteria of the Mental Health Act, but they still need help," she added.