The fight against gang crime in Surrey, B.C., is getting a $23-million boost.
The funding announcement for an expanded “Gangs and Guns” strategy was made by Premier Christy Clark Friday morning, as the leader was surrounded by B.C. Mounties.
“People have felt unsafe and we can’t live in a democratic, civil society where people feel unsafe,” Clark says of the mounting gang violence in the city.
“This activity from gangs in Surrey is unacceptable.”
The funding will be rolled out to Surrey and other B.C. communities struggling with gang violence over the next three years, according to Clark.
Under the new plan, two new 10-person Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit teams will be created, which is estimated to cost $3.5-million this year, and another $6-million over the next two years.
Clark says the funding will start “flowing immediately” but’s it’s still unclear how quickly the RCMP can actually deploy new officers on the street.
The RCMP says officers may be recruited from detachments in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.
B.C.’s “three-pillar” guns and gangs strategy also includes dedicating members of Crown counsel to following low-level Surrey offenders with ties to gangs and drugs through the court system.
The move comes as a bid to enhance continuity in the court system and, hopefully, lead to faster prosecution.
A new Office of Crime Reduction and Gang Outreach will be opened, with a mandate to explore legislative solutions and conduct community outreach.
B.C. is also giving CrimeStoppers $450,000 so it can start providing a cash incentive for every tip that leads to a conviction for gang activity.
“This is an urgent problem,” Clark told reporters. “We are going to get this problem beaten, and help the people of Surrey feel safe again.”
