The federal government has committed millions of dollars for a new program aimed at keeping Surrey teenagers out of gangs.
The Surrey Anti-Gang Family Empowerment program is designed to give at-risk youths a chance to develop social skills and foster positive relationships with their community, the government said Tuesday while pledging $7.5 million in funding over five years.
"We are making investments in at-risk young people to help them make better, smarter and safer choices," Bill Blair, Minister of Organized Crime Reduction, said in a news release. "With this program, we will deter young people from engaging in gang activity and crime. This will ultimately contribute to a safer community in Surrey."
The program is expected to reach about 4,700 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 and their families.
The announcement comes as Surrey's elected council and Mayor Doug McCallum are continuing to move toward scrapping the city's RCMP detachment, which is the largest in the province, in favour of a new municipal police force.
It also followed one day after Surrey RCMP released its 2018 crime statistics, which showed a four per cent dip in overall crime but a 25 per cent increase in homicides from the previous year.
With files from CTV Vancouver's Sheila Scott
