Teens in Abbotsford and Vanderhoof will hear the same message today -- as part of a preemptive strike against gangs.
Abbotsford Police Chief Bob Rich, along with school and civic officials, plan an announcement about the safety of gang-involved youth in that Fraser Valley city.
There have been more than 20 shooting deaths in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley since mid-January, though not all have been conclusively tied to gangs.
Teenagers Dilsher Gill and Joseph Randay were murdered in a car on the Sumas First Nation on May 2 after being abducted at gunpoint from a nearby park.
Their deaths have not been linked to gangs, but it has raised the alarm about youth and violence in the community.
In Vanderhoof, members of the RCMP Aboriginal Gang Unit will be speaking to parents and students on the Saik'uz First Nation, just south of the community.
Police say aboriginal gangs are common across Western Canada and today's presentation will help identify gangs and offer strategies to resist recruitment.
The city of Chilliwack is planning a forum Thursday night to address the community's response to gangs and gang violence. That will take place between 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Sardis Senior Secondary School at 45460 Stevenson Road.
