Cranbrook council endorses RCMP restorative justice proposal

Cranbrook RCMP propose bringing restorative justice program in-house

Cranbrook council endorses RCMP restorative justice proposal Published 12:17 pm Friday, July 17, 2026 Cranbrook city council endorsed a proposal by staff to explore options for grant funding to start a restorative justice program through the Cranbrook RCMP detachment. Currently, restorative justice services available in Cranbrook are delivered by the Cranbrook and District Restorative Justice Society (CDRJS), however, RJ services are currently very limited, externally delivered, and dependent upon CDRJS’ varying levels of capacity, according to a staff report. The CDRJS is a non-profit society and relies on grant funding, in-kind financial supports and partnerships with key stakeholders.

CDRJS has reported difficulty in accessing funding which has resulted in a significant decrease in their ability to delivery Restorative Justice programs. Given those challenges, city staff gave a presentation to mayor and council seeking to bring those services in-house to the Cranbrook RCMP detachment during a meeting on July 13. “Rather than relying solely on traditional punitive justice measures, RJ provides opportunities for offenders to understand the impact of their actions, take responsibility, and make meaningful amends to victims and the community,” reads a staff report.

“[Restorative Justice] programs are commonly used in collaboration with police agencies, schools, community organizations, and courts to address low-risk offences, disputes, and community conflicts. “These programs often involve facilitated dialogue, mediation, community service, restitution agreements, and other restorative outcomes.” By bringing restorative justice in-house, the Cranbrook RCMP detachment may have access to funding streams that are not available to the society.

Further, the detachment is also gauging interested with the RDEK to potentially contribute, given that the Cranbrook RCMP’s jurisdiction covers rural around the city. “A Cranbrook RCMP Restorative Justice Program would provide a more timely, coordinated, and community-focused response while alleviating some administrative workload from Cranbrook RCMP members,” reads the staff report. “Rather than preparing a Report to Crown Counsel recommending charges and preparing evidence for disclosure, police can simply refer a police file to the in-house RJ program.

“When the offender is successful in the RJ program, there is no need for police to attend court – another time consuming task for police. Further, Restorative Justice can reduce the likelihood of reoffending, which means it may prevent repeat calls for service for a particular individual.” Staff is recommending a pilot program consisting of a one-year term part-time position funded through external grant funding.

The Restorative Justice Coordinator position would be a municipal employee position in the Police Support Services department at Cranbrook RCMP detachment. With an RCMP security clearance, the Restorative Justice Coordinator would work out of the Cranbrook detachment and could have access the police database to review details of the police file, if required. The coordinator would have the ability to document the participant’s outcome on the police file, which can be used for consideration by police or Crown Counsel should the individual re-offend.

An in-house restorative justice program could include: • Referrals from police and bylaw services; • Youth diversion opportunities; • Neighbourhood and community dispute resolution; • Minor property offence resolution; • Community accountability agreements; • Facilitation and mediation services; • Education and outreach initiatives; and • Partnerships with schools, Indigenous organizations, and community agencies.