B.C.'s solicitor general says new legislation that forces health care staff to report gunshot and stab wounds to police will come into effect early next year.
The province hopes the new measures, part of a seven-point crime reduction strategy announced in 2009, will lead to more gang member arrests and prosecutions.
Solicitor General Rich Coleman says it will also help thwart violent retribution.
"Often in cases of gunshots and stab wounds, a timely reaction by police is critical to prevent further violence, injury or death," he said in a release. "Setting out these rules … means that police will get the information they need to expedite their response."
The Gunshot and Stab Wound Disclosure Act will come into effect on Feb. 1, 2011.
Under the new laws, health care workers will be forced to alert police of all gunshot wounds regardless of context. They will not be required to report stab wounds that appear accidental or self-inflicted.
Several provinces already require the reporting of gunshot wounds, but only Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta currently require both bullet and stab wounds to be reported.
