BY B.C. PREMIER JOHN HORGAN
PEOPLE deserve to feel safe where they live, and to know that steady support is there to help stop their kids from falling into a life of gang violence.
Our government made a commitment to tackle gangs and gun violence, to make our communities safer, and to build a better B.C. and future for our kids. As part of that commitment we are delivering stable, secure funding for the Surrey Wraparound (WRAP) program to help keep at-risk youth out of gangs.
Wrap identifies youth who are at risk of joining gangs and connects them with outreach workers, teachers and police. Our government doubled funding for Wrap to $500,000 in August to help eliminate the program’s waitlist. We have now made annual funding of $500,000 for Surrey Wrap permanent.
Wrap is a success story, and an example of what we can accomplish when we work together. The Surrey RCMP, the Surrey school district and the City of Surrey work in partnership to identify at-risk youth and give them the support they need to stay out of gangs.
Wrap provides counselling, recreational activities, mentoring, substance abuse and mental health support, life skills training and job placement. It’s innovative, it’s effective, it’s a key part of our strategy to take action on gangs and gun violence and making our communities safer, and it deserves long-term, stable funding.
We’re also stepping up to protect public safety and cut off illegal drug supplies, including fentanyl. Our government recently allocated $32 million to fund critical enforcement measures, including targeting drug traffickers and organized crime to go after, arrest and prosecute drug traffickers and to disrupt the drug supply line in communities. These are important steps towards building safer communities.
For too long, the people at the top came first while real problems facing people in our communities were ignored. It’s going to take time to fix the problems caused by years of neglect, but we’re listening and working hard every day to make life better for you and your family.
It’s time for a better B.C. and a government puts you first. We’re focussed on solving real problems and getting results that make a difference in people’s lives.
These are the first steps. In the weeks and months ahead, we’ll do even more to make our communities safer, make life more affordable, improve the services people count on, and create good jobs for people throughout B.C.
