History of The Organized Crime Agency of British Columbia

The Organized Crime Agency of British Columbia (OCABC) was established as a Designated Policing and Law Enforcement Unit under the Police Act (B.C.) on March 11, 1999.

Similar to the structure and authority of municipal police departments in British Columbia, OCABC is an independent policing agency. The specific mandate of OCABC is to facilitate the disruption and suppression of organized crime which impacts all British Columbians.

Governance

OCABC is governed by a Board appointed by the Attorney General. The Board, which functions similar to a Municipal Police Board, comprises six Directors and one Chair representing various communities and interests across the province.

Board membership includes ethnic diversity, gender balance and expertise from the legal, business, education and other professional sectors.  Organized crime enforcement is highly sophisticated, highly sensitive, requiring strong cooperation among all law enforcement groups provincially, nationally, and internationally. Therefore, it is essential that representation from the British Columbia policing community such as the Commanding Officer RCMP “E” Division and the  President of the British Columbia Municipal Chiefs of Police also be included on the Board.

Vision

The Agency is an aggressive, professional, and respected team combating organized crime, in partnership with other organizations, through the bold and innovative application of ethical and progressive law enforcement techniques.