About CFSEU-BC
The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit-British Columbia (CFSEU-BC) is an integrated joint force operation modeled after other similar units across Canada. The mission of CFSEU-BC is to facilitate the disruption and suppression of organized crime which affects British Columbians. The mandate is to investigate, prosecute, disrupt and suppress criminal organizations, consistent with local, regional, national and international priorities. CFSEU-BC also supports other agencies by assisting in organized and major crime investigations.
Our Mission
The mission of CFSEU-BC is to facilitate the disruption and suppression of organized crime which affects British Columbians.
Our Mandate
The mandate is to investigate, prosecute, disrupt and suppress criminal organizations, consistent with local, regional, national and international priorities. CFSEU-BC also supports other agencies by assisting in organized and major crime investigations.
Evolution of CFSEU-BC
In 1999, the Organized Crime Agency of British Columbia (OCABC) was developed as an independent Designated Policing and Law Enforcement Unit under the Provincial Police Act.
In 2004, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit-British Columbia (CFSEU-BC) was developed in consultation with the Provincial Government as an initiative to integrate the OCABC, the municipal police departments and the RCMP.
The Board of Governance for the OCABC also acts as the Board of Governance for CFSEU-BC. The Board is comprised of the Deputy Commissioner Pacific Region and Commanding Officer “E” Division RCMP, the President of the BC Association of Chiefs of Police, the President of the BC Association of Municipal Chiefs of Police and the Chief Constable of the Vancouver Police Department. The Board determines the strategic direction of CFSEU-BC and ensures the operational priorities are aligned with the policing priorities for the Province. CFSEU-BC operates under the RCMP policies and procedures. The board members receive no remuneration.
CFSEU-BC is managed by a police executive team comprised of a Chief Officer, a Deputy Chief Officer, and an Operations Officer. The current Chief Officer is Supt. Doug Kiloh of the RCMP. The Officer in Charge of Administration and Technical Support is Deputy Chief Officer Jim Purney of the Organized Crime Agency. The Officer in charge of Operations is Supt. Pat Fogarty of the Organized Crime Agency.
The mission of CFSEU-BC is to facilitate the disruption and suppression of organized crime which affects British Columbians. The mandate is to investigate, prosecute, disrupt and suppress criminal organizations, consistent with local, regional, national and international priorities. CFSEU-BC also supports other agencies by assisting in organized and major crime investigations.
Vancouver Island Team
The CFSEU-BC Vancouver Island Team consists of investigators from all of the Vancouver Island Municipal Police Agencies, OCABC and the RCMP. This fully operational team is integrated and works together with other enforcement teams including the National Weapons Enforcement Support Team (NWEST), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Victoria Regional Crime Unit (RCU), who shares accommodation at the CFSEU-BC work site.
Over the last year we have supported our partner agencies on a range of investigations involving organized crime and gang members. These investigations have included homicides, drug trafficking, kidnapping and serious aggravated assaults.
We are proactive in identifying and targeting known gang members and associates before they can become established on Vancouver Island. By working closely with the CFSEU-BC Vancouver office, the BC Integrated Gang Task Force, the BC Sheriff Services, the BC Civil Forfeiture Office, Island intelligence officers and other agencies we are able to coordinate a balanced approach to identify and suppress organized crime.
The primary focus of our investigations are on established criminal organizations. Utilizing the collective experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of our partners we work with, we identify opportunities to prosecute and disrupt organized criminal activity.
On occasion, criminal prosecution may not always be practical or possible. By example, Project HALO identified some of the suspected criminal activities of members of the Nanaimo Chapter of the Hells Angels but the investigation did not lead to criminal prosecution. By taking an integrated approach, and within the parameters of civil law, we were able to provide information to the BC Civil Forfeiture Office (CFO) to support a civil action. The civil action by the CFO, based in part on our observations and potential evidence of criminal activity, was able to seize and restrain the Nanaimo Hells Angels Clubhouse. We have also worked separately with the National Weapons Enforcement Support Team (NWEST) and Island RCMP Detachments to successfully restrain firearms from Hells Angels members who are involved and charged with violent offences.
Through partnership and the integration of intelligence and resources, the Vancouver Island CFSEU-BC Team will continue to provide support to all of our partner agencies and aggressively investigate organized crime.
