The Downtown Victoria Business Association was awarded recently for its work with an alternative court system.

The Business Improvement Areas of British Columbia gave the DVBA its Best in the West award for safety and social issues.

The DVBA worked with community outreach workers, the Vancouver Island Health Authority, Victoria police and provincial court Judge Ernie Quantz to set up Victoria integrated court, which deals solely with repeat offenders.

The new court started in March 2010.

“We are proud to accept this award on behalf of everyone who came together to develop the Victoria integrated court,” said Scott Hoadley, chair of the DVBA.

“The enthusiastic and coordinated efforts of multiple community partners over the last four years have brought us to this point.”