 Vancouver is the third largest metropolitan area in Canada with over two million people. The population in the Lower Mainland has experienced rapid growth with a large influx of residents to the downtown area of Vancouver. Vancouver has all the challenges of city this size. Many enjoy high quality of life in Vancouver, but sadly this is not true for all. Homelessness has increased in recent years. Vancouver has the second highest rate of property crime in Canada. Community court was designed to address these problems. Judge Thomas Gove played an instrumental role in the implementation of the downtown community court. At least half of the people who are charged with committing crimes in downtown Vancouver have a mental illness or drug addiction or both. Many are repeat offenders. These are complex problems. Judge Thomas Gove is a judge with the British Columbia Provincial Court. He was appointed to the provincial court in 1990. In March 2004 a street crime working group was set up to study crime in downtown Vancouver and to make recommendations to deal with it. The working group members represented all levels of government, the judiciary, lawyers, police, corrections, and social service providers. In its report, Beyond the Revolving Door, a new response to chronic offenders, the group made a series of recommendations including the creation in downtown Vancouver of what is known as a community court. On September 10th, 2008, the doors of the downtown community court opened at 211 Gore Avenue. Let's break down the barriers that stop us from doing what we know is the right thing to do. And that's what this first community court in Canada is endeavoring to do. It is a first and I can almost guarantee you it will not be a last. The downtown community court is located behind the main provincial court next to the jail near the police station. Located within the community court are 14 different justice health and social service agencies all working together in an integrated manner to help offenders deal with the issues that drive their criminal behavior. The objective of the downtown community court is to deal with criminal offenses in a timely way. To reduce the harm suffered by the community through acts of crime and at the same time to involve the community in finding solutions to reduce crime and increase public safety. The downtown community court deals with crimes from several distinct neighborhoods within downtown Vancouver each with their particular problems. Strathcona, Chinatown, the downtown east side, Gastown, Yaltown, Cole Harbor, the West End and Stanley Park as well as the central business and entertainment districts. It is important to understand that Vancouver's downtown community court is a criminal court within the provincial court system. The types of cases the court deals with are the most common criminal offenses such as mischief, assault, theft under $5,000 in possession of drugs. When the police arrest someone for a criminal act in the community court's catchment area a crown prosecutor does the initial review of the charges to determine whether it is for the kind of offense that the downtown community court deals with. Before a person who has been arrested and charged appears in court a defense lawyer will meet with them to discuss options. If they decide to plead not guilty the case will be moved out of the community court for trial in another court. The downtown community court takes a problem-solving approach to address offenders' needs and circumstances and the underlying causes of their criminal behavior. The community court deals with a whole range of offenders some appearing in a criminal court for the first time but also a large number of repeat offenders who have health and social problems. They may have mental illness and drug or alcohol addiction and they are often homeless and difficult to house as well as unemployed. Where problems such as mental illness, addiction and so on can be addressed through assistance bankers downtown community court aims to coordinate available services to increase the chances of successfully rehabilitating and reintegrating the offender into the community. The community court has its own case management team that provides intensive supervision and who monitor compliance of selected offenders to ensure that these people receive service such as mental health treatment and drug addiction counseling to help them change their criminal waves. The goal of the downtown community court is to reduce the harm caused of the community by criminal behavior. We want to keep people in the community where their behavior can be successfully managed. We have the authority to do everything that a regular court does. So when necessary some offenders will go to jail. Each morning before court starts the Crown and Defense Council meet with members of the community court triage team. The triage team members consist of income assistance and housing workers, police, probation, a forensic psychiatric nurse and health nurse and a native court worker. On a typical day there might be 50 to 70 files scheduled for the court. However only about 10 to 15 will be coming to the court for the first time. All accused will meet with the defense lawyer. Although the defense lawyer works in the court it is understood that her primary responsibility is to act for the accused. Accused coming to community court may decline to speak to the defense lawyer and act on their own or bring counsel of their choice. Most of the offenders coming through community court are required to perform community service hours as a means of reparation for the harm they have caused. The service is provided in the community where they did the damage. This could be either working with a crew or cleaning up the streets or working in a soup kitchen. And in the community court the work service starts the same day or possibly the next day. In many cases that I know about participating offenders have enjoyed the community service. Some have volunteered for more. It's a means of repaying the community for harm but it can also be a pro-social activity that can encourage rehabilitation. The downtown community court initiative falls on successful initiatives in cities in the United States. It represents a significant investment by the public and is being evaluated so that its benefits can be assessed. It's going to take some time before we can assess the results but those working in the court believe it is having an impact. From where I sit I see a change. I've been a judge for 19 years and I was a lawyer for 16 years prior to that. And yet I see things every day in this court that are new to me. We are doing things differently and I believe we are making a difference. What I see are situations where people arrive in the court with an array of complicated problems. The people who can assist them with the issues that contribute to their criminal behavior are right here in the courthouse. It's also significant that offenders can start serving their sentence right away in the community. I can actually see them doing it and the community service links them to people and organizations in the community. It helps them become a contributing member of their community. The downtown community court is quite novel. As we were planning this court I spent countless hours meeting with community organizations and individuals in order to hear their ideas on what they wanted to see in the court and how it should operate. Although I spend most days working in the courtroom I still attempt to meet members of the community when I can. I think it's important that I continue to be accessible to the community. Staff in the community court however meets with members of the community and the community court team members on a regular basis and their input is really valuable.