SURREY, B.C. – On Tuesday, January 22, 2019, the Federal Government announced a $7.5 million-dollar grant for the Surrey Anti-Gang Family Empowerment Program (SAFE). This funding is to be provided by the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS) and the Youth Gang Prevention Fund. The money will be provided over the next five years to ten community organizations that will assess 4,500 at-risk youth. Further, they will provide access to social opportunities, housing assistance, counselling, intercultural family intervention, youth and parent outreach services, peer leadership assistance, clinical counselling and caregiver education, and female youth gang intervention.
It is a recommendation that came from the Mayor’s Task Force on Gang Violence Prevention Report in July 2018.
The Surrey Board of Trade was deeply connected and involved with the Mayor’s Task Force on Gang Violence Prevention as the business voice at the table, offering insights on how the business community can contribute to keeping Surrey safe.
“Businesses care about public safety,” said Anita Huberman, CEO, Surrey Board of Trade. “As the Federal Minster of National Defence said today, it takes an entire community to stop gang violence. Business owners need to work closely with the City of Surrey and the Surrey RCMP to deter and report any signs of criminal activity.”
“The Surrey Board of Trade, through our Social Policy Team and Youth Entrepreneurship Team, will work with those organizations indicated today to receive funding, such as Options, DIVERSEcity, Pacific Community Resources Society, PICS, Solid State, Surrey Schools, SFU and KPU.”
“The SAFE Program was developed specifically for Surrey in response to the urgent need for a coordinated approach to address gang violence, and to disrupt the pathways young people take toward joining gangs and the gang lifestyle.”
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Mayor’s Gang Task Force on Gang Violence Prevention Report