Premier Christy Clark announces $23M for anti-gang measures

B.C. Premier Christy Clark says the province is adding $23 million over three years to fight the plague of gang violence in Surrey.

"We can't live in a democratic civil society where people feel unsafe," said Clark.

"This activity from gangs here in Surrey and in British Columbia is unacceptable."

Clark said the money would go to fund two additional 10-person units to fight gang violence on the ground, as well as a dedicated office for anti-gang initiatives.

She also stressed the need for police to fight the spread of violence beyond the borders of Surrey.

"What's happening with gangs is not a Surrey problem, it's a British Columbia problem," Clark said.

"We need to be integrated in our approach to fighting gangs."

Clark said the funds would also go to support prosecution of gang-related crime and a beefed up CrimeStoppers program.

Community action

But she called on the community to help as well.

"The gang life leads nowhere except to jail, or a coffin," Clark said.

Nevertheless, she was able to offer little assurance to Surrey residents who have expressed frustration and fear at the dozens of shootings that have broken out recently.

"We are putting in extra effort to make sure that this community is more secure for the people who live here," she said.

But she warned that gangsters will likely move to other communities once they're pushed out of Surrey, and said the province needs to work to ensure safety in those other areas as well.

The Ministry of Public Safety says the funding will be used to bolster enforcement in Surrey and Williams Lake, as well as other communities which have seen spikes in gang activity.

Clark described a "three-pillared approach" focusing on enforcement and prosecution, furthering community engagement and expanding the laws used to target gangs.

Clark was joined in making the announcement by Public Safety Minister Mike Morris, RCMP Deputy Commissioner Craig Callens, and Surrey mayor Linda Hepner.

Gangs don't respect geography

Morris said the province is pursuing a long-term strategy to make sure that once the problem is solved in Surrey, it doesn't pop up elsewhere.

"We're making some great steps," Morris said.

Callens said police welcomed the additional resources and the commitment to a long term solution.

"These illegal activities respect no geographical boundaries," he said.

Hepner said she was pleased to see the increase in resources, but was pleased that dedicated prosecutors will be placed on Surrey files that involve offenders with low-level ties to gangs.

"I really like the fact that they're going to be adding prosecutors," she said.

Hepner said she hoped the increased resources for the judicial system might speed up the process from arrest to convictions.

There have been more than 30 shootings in Surrey since January, and residents have demanded government at all levels take action.

Clark said the new Office of Crime Reduction and Gang Outreach will coordinate the province's variety of anti-gang education initiatives.

The province is also putting $450,000 into the Cash for Tips in Illegal Firearms line which is run by CrimeStoppers.

Mayor Linda Hepner, speaking on Apr. 5,  offered tough talk about those involved with the shootings.

"I want to call them punks," she said, adding that tougher sentences and more enforcement was the solution.

At that time, B.C. Public Safety Minister Mike Morris, who will also attend today's announcement,  said, "We're going to put these guys in jail."