Parliamentary Secretary to the Public Safety Minister, Mark Holland visited Surrey to hear community concerns and ideas from local experts on tackling gang and gun violence
Surrey, BC – Ensuring the safety of Surrey’s neighbourhoods is a top priority for Surrey’s Members of Parliament, John Aldag, Sukh Dhaliwal, Ken Hardie, Gordie Hogg and Randeep Sarai. This was the primary purpose of yesterday’s roundtable with Mark Holland, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Public Safety Minister.
At this roundtable, the MP’s along with their provincial and municipal counterparts discussed the measures that have been taken to date, as well as new resources and supports that are required to boost prevention, intervention, and enforcement measures to tackle gun and gang violence in Surrey.
In Budget 2018, more than 300 million dollars were allocated over the next five years and $100 million annually after that, which will be permanent funding towards community programs, law enforcement and border operations that are focused on reducing gun and gang violence across Canada. While the MP’s are pleased to see this significant investment, they made it clear, Surrey must receive an increased level of funding to ensure we have the resources to support community programs, and police operations on this issue.
At this roundtable, members from various community organizations, Surrey School Board, City of Surrey Gang Task Force, Surrey RCMP, CFSEU, and representatives from the Ministry of Children and Families were on hand to share the work that is being done to prevent children from entering gang life, and the tools and resources that are needed to support this work.
This team of local MP’s ended yesterday’s meeting by hearing directly from local families from the lower mainland on the toll this has had on their families. The MP’s, as well as Mark Holland, are resolved to carry forward the ideas, suggestions, and solutions on this issue to bring about a real difference in our community, led by our B.C. Caucus Chair, Gordie Hogg. In the coming months, they expect the funding supports to arrive at the approved applicants.