SURREY, BC – On April 23, 2019, the BC Government announced that Public Safety Canada will be assisting communities facing increased gun and gang violence throughout British Columbia. Six programs aimed at enhancing efforts to prevent, disrupt and combat gun and gang violence will receive sustained funding through the Federal Government’s Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund.
BC’s first allocation of $5.3 million in funding over two years, from the Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund, will support community-specific initiatives aimed at preventing and intervening in local gang activity in specific areas struggling with gun and gang crime.
“Reliable funding produces sustainable results,” said Anita Huberman, CEO, Surrey Board of Trade. “We have an obligation to ensure our youth become productive members of our economy, and funding such as this will help make it so.”
“Businesses care about public safety – it is an integral part of a thriving economy,” said Huberman. “The Surrey Board of Trade and its members understand that keeping youth out of gangs relies on a collaboration between the business community, public institutions, not-for-profit organizations and families. Business owners need to work closely with the City of Surrey and the Surrey RCMP to deter and report any signs of criminal activity.”
This funding will build upon one of government’s first announcements, providing the Surrey Wrap program with ongoing, annual funding of $500,000 to deliver anti-gang programming to youth in Surrey. The number of youth and families served by Surrey Wrap, at last count, had grown from 131 to 168, for a capacity increase of 28%.
Other funding announcements were made for Abbotsford and the Cariboo-Chilcotin communities.
“Gun and gang violence are borderless – all BC communities must work together.”
For further information, please contact Anita Huberman, CEO, Surrey Board of Trade, at anita@businessinsurrey.com or at 604.634.0342.
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