B.C. eager for federal funds to fight gang violence

Ottawa announces it will commit $327 million over five years, but has yet to say just how it will be spent

The B.C. government is hoping to get the new federal funding announced Friday to tackle gang and gun violence as quickly as possible.

B.C. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said in an interview that he was pleased to see his federal counterpart commit $327.6 million over five years to reduce gun crime and gangs across the country.

Federal minister Ralph Goodale made the announcement at the RCMP’s headquarters in Surrey. He also committed $100 million a year after the initial funding period.

But he was vague on how the money would be spent, saying meetings would be held to determine the priorities for the new cash.

Farnworth said his ministry officials “are still trying to get the full info on the exact details.”

He expects the Illegal Firearms Task Force to release a report next week containing recommendations about measures to reduce the number of guns in the hands of young gangsters.

Additional money from the federal government could help implement those recommendations, Farnworth said.

“We would like to get access to it as soon as possible,” he said of the cash.

“So my hope is that it is going to be targeted to those areas of the country where there is a real problem — so the Lower Mainland of B.C. would clearly be a priority.”

Goodale said gun and gang violence has left too many young people dead and traumatized communities.

“It doesn’t have to be this way. By working together, we can make our communities safer through greater enforcement, collaboration and prevention,” he said.

He also announced that the federal government would hold an “unprecedented” summit on guns and gangs in March 2018, bringing together “experts, practitioners, front-line personnel and decision-makers.”

Surrey is one of several Lower Mainland cities plagued by gang violence in recent years.

No city officials were at Friday’s announcement. Mayor Linda Hepner is out of the country, according to an office official.

Farnworth said Goodale’s staff told B.C. officials about the announcement on Thursday.

“We have been advocating for the money for additional resources for quite some time. So we are pleased that the money is coming through,” Farnworth said.

“We want to get more of a sense on the details. But from what we heard it sounds like it will fit in with what we are wanting to do in the not-so-distance future.”

According to statistics released Friday, there were 2,465 criminal firearms violations in 2016, an increase of 30 per cent since 2013.

More than 75 per cent of gang-related murders involved firearms, compared with other homicides where only 20 per cent involve the use of a gun.

Murder, manslaughter, extortion and human-trafficking committed by criminal organizations all increased between 2012 and 2016, as did gangs link to supplying deadly fentanyl that killed drug users across Canada.

“The Lower Mainland of B.C. would clearly be a priority.”

— MIKE FARNWORTH B.C. PUBLIC SAFETY MINISTER