BC Liberals on Wednesday noted that NDP Leadership hopeful David Eby finally has his long-awaited and personally-commissioned report on the problem of repeat offenders in his hands and asked, “So why hasn’t he said a word about it?”

“It’s been nearly two weeks since Doug LePard and Amanda Butler’s full investigative review was released by the NDP — quietly, on a Saturday — and three weeks since their executive summary and recommendations were initially distributed. Yet the guy who commissioned the report, David Eby, hasn’t said a peep. What gives?” said Mike Morris, Opposition Critic for Public Safety and Solicitor General and former RCMP officer, on Wednesday.

“Perhaps it’s because the report only confirmed what British Columbians already knew — that crime levels have spiralled out of control under the former Attorney General’s catch-and-release justice system and nothing is being done to help make people and communities feel safe.”

The BC Liberals pointed out that while Eby stayed silent over the Thanksgiving long weekend, police officers in Vancouver alone dealt with nearly 1,500 calls including 36 assaults, 31 weapons calls, hundreds of property offences — and even a man shot in the chest with a crossbow.

“Police officers and other first responders are overwhelmed and burned out. How long can David Eby expect them to continue functioning this way?” asked Surrey South MLA Elenore Sturko, also a former RCMP officer.

“Whether it’s the victims of crime, the hard-working front-line workers attending to them, or the citizens feeling more fearful on our streets by the day, people need reassurance that change is coming. It’s time for David Eby to accept some accountability for the explosion of violent crime and social chaos that we are seeing throughout B.C. as a result of his catch-and-release justice system.”