Government takes action to combat gang violence in New Westminster
The Province continues to take action to keep people and communities safe through new initiatives that help to combat gangs, fight organized crime and stop criminals from bringing violence and toxic drugs into New Westminster.
“Gang and organized crime impact all of us, and we are continuing to co-ordinate our efforts with local, provincial and federal partners to ensure we are taking the right steps to keep people and communities safe,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “I am very pleased we are continuing to support the excellent work of New Westminster, and I look forward to working with the city on important initiatives that enhance our response to the gang conflict in B.C.”
Through the provincial Guns and Gangs Violence Action Fund (GGVAF), the City of New Westminster has been provided $596,141 in funding to continue to support the New Westminster Police Department’s Gang Suppression Unit (NWPD-GSU) efforts to supress gang and gun violence by employing effective strategies in the key areas of prevention, disruption, intervention and enforcement. The funding is made available under the federal government’s Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence and builds on the excellent work of NWPD-GSU, which has received more than $3 million in GGVAF funding over the past five years.
“As we continue to confront the challenges posed by gangs and organized crime, it’s important that our local law enforcement has the tools and resources necessary to keep our communities safe,” said Jennifer Whiteside, MLA for New Westminster. “The New Westminster Police Department’s Gang Suppression Unit has made great strides in reducing gang violence, and this additional funding will help it build on that success, ensuring a safer future for everyone here in New West.”
In previous years, through GGVAF, the unit has been able to enhance its efforts in dismantling organized crime by successfully developing and implementing its Gang Suppression Unit (GSU) in 2020. Since its inception, the unit identifies and targets high-risk offenders involved in gang conflicts with the aim of investigating, prosecuting and disrupting unlawful and violent activity. The GSU has resulted in the arrest of more than 466 individuals and the seizure of 43 weapons, more than 25 kilograms of illicit drugs and approximately $477,000 in Canadian currency.
“This funding is absolutely necessary for small, urban municipalities like ours who simply do not have the resources to fund initiating specialized teams like this,” said Tasha Henderson, chair, New Westminster Police Board. “We are grateful that the Province recognized this need and look forward to its ongoing support so we can continue this important work in our community.”
Significant investments continue for enhanced and specialized enforcement activities related to guns, gangs and illicit-drug trafficking throughout British Columbia. Every year, $100 million is invested to bolster provincial firearm forensic capabilities, strengthen gang enforcement and suppression initiatives, and support community-based prevention and intervention programs.
Quick Fact:
- Under the federal government’s Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence, the B.C. government has received $10.9 million from Public Safety Canada for the 2024-25 fiscal year.
Learn More:
To learn more about the Guns and Gangs Violence Action Fund, visit:
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-safety-canada/news/2023/05/government-announces-390-million-to-help-stop-crime-and-violence.html
To view gang-prevention resources for parents, visit the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit B.C. website:
https://endganglife.ca/
To learn more about B.C.’s Safer Communities Action Plan, visit:
https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/safer-communities/