Government takes action to combat gang violence in Vancouver
Police efforts to charge and prosecute people involved in gang activity in Vancouver are being bolstered as part of the Province’s actions to fight organized crime and keep people and communities safe.
“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 the Vancouver Police Department, and I look forward to working with the city on important initiatives that strengthen our response to the gang conflict in B.C.”
Through the provincial Guns and Gangs Violence Action Fund (GGVAF), the City of Vancouver has been provided $183,661 to continue to support the Vancouver Police Department’s (VPD) efforts in prevention, disruption, intervention and enforcement of local gang activity. The funding is made available under the federal government’s Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence and builds off the excellent work of the VPD, which has received more than $2.5 million in GGVAF funding over the past five years.
“With this support, the Vancouver Police Department will be better equipped to tackle the challenges of gang activity head on,” said Brenda Bailey, MLA for Vancouver-False Creek. “This funding will help keep our communities safe and shows our government’s commitment to ensuring that Vancouver is a safe place for everyone.”
The VPD will use this funding to provide additional intelligence resources to assist with the identification, charging and successful prosecution of participants involved in the B.C. gang conflict and gang related human trafficking.
“The Vancouver Police Department’s leadership in preventing and tackling gang activity is a result of strategic investments in intelligence resources and upgrades to key investigative infrastructure,” said Frank Chong, chair, Vancouver Police Board. “The Vancouver Police Board and VPD thank the Province for this new grant from the Guns and Gangs Violence Action Fund which strengthens the VPD’s ability to counter gang-related crime and violence and helps keep Vancouver safe.”
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 Facts:
- 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.
- Crime in Vancouver continues to trend downward with an 8.9% reduction in total crime, a 9.3% reduction in violent crime, an 11.2% reduction in property crime, a 10% reduction in assaults, a 9.1% reduction in reported sexual offences, a 19% reduction in auto theft, a 29.2% reduction in theft from vehicles and a 27.6% reduction in break-and-enters.
- In previous years through GGVAF, the VPD has been able to enhance their efforts in dismantling organized crime in Vancouver through the purchasing of a Data Concentrator to improve the forensic analysis related to firearm investigations, as well as making critical upgrades to their Faraday room, which protects sensitive electronic equipment.
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 from the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit B.C., visit: https://endganglife.ca/
To learn more about B.C.’s Safer Communities Action Plan, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/safer-communities/