In Monday night's televised leader's debate, Gordon Campbell took what some people called a controversial tone with Carole James while talking about crime.

But is the New Democrat leader telling the truth when she says BC Liberals have cut back?

During the debate Gordon Campbell pointed to the 1,100 more police officers in the province from five years ago. And there are definitely more RCMP and municipal police officers.

But what happens after police recommend charges? Carole James challenged him with some other numbers.

In the debate, James said there was $10 million in cuts from crown and court services and 100 jobs from corrections.

"I come back again, not rhetoric, not numbers," James said. "How can you say that you're fighting crime when your actions don't show it?"

But Campbell says it's a matter of focusing on where the government can most effectively make a difference.

"The actions do show it because we're focusing our resources where they'll make the most difference adding to the prosecution and police who are going right after gangsters," Campbell said. "That is an effective strategy."

The Liberals have beefed up the numbers of police officers in B.C. but their detailed budget numbers paint a bleaker picture for the crown and the courts.

In the next three years, the number of crown lawyers and support staff is expected to be slashed by 106. And 60 jobs will be lost in court services.

Stephen Fudge of the B.C. Crown Counsel Association says the move would be "catastrophic."

"If you're going to talk law and order you have to put the bodies in the courtroom," Fudge said.

"You can't just have judges -- you have to have a prosecutor to run the case. We will get fewer convictions. That's the bottom line."

Campbell repeatedly pointed to the 10 new crown prosecutors focusing on gang crimes. Crown counsel is happy with that move but they say if more than a hundred jobs will be cut in a few years -- you'll undo all the good.

Click here to read the report, put out by B.C.'s Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Police Resources in British Columbia, 2007.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Mi-Jung Lee