SURREY – In launching her bid to become the first Indo-Canadian and first ethnic mayor of Surrey, Barinder Rasode followed former mayor Doug McCallum down the crime and safety path with a heavy anti-crime agenda for a city that just within a week had two murders and many shootings.
“It’s time to end the culture of complacency in Surrey and fix the long-standing issues that are holding the city back,” said Councillor Barinder Rasode, who officially launched her campaign for mayor last Saturday in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd at SFU Surrey.
“Complacency has built a culture of neglect in Surrey. It’s time to get our priorities straight and take decisive action to fix Surrey’s crime problem and move our city forward,” said Rasode. “If people aren’t safe, nothing else matters. So, it’s time to make public safety the number one priority in our city.”
Rasode was introduced by Conservative senator Gerry St. Germain, a signal that she is wooing the mainstream crowd that has traditionally supported Surrey First.
Rasode said the upcoming election will be a choice between doing things the same old way or choosing a different approach to the problems in the city.
Rasode, who will release a comprehensive platform in the coming weeks, commits to:
- Reduce officer response times by 50 per cent
- Double the number of officers on the road
- Hire 200 community safety personnel, including new by-law and crime prevention officers
She adds that improving the coordination between Surrey’s crime fighters – police, fire services, by-laws, community safety officers – will be key to improving safety. And, she will work with senior levels of government to implement new addictions and mental health resources, as well as establish a Community Court system to help chronic offenders break the cycle of crime.
Rasode said getting people and goods moving across the city is also critically important to the economic and social success of Surrey.
“The bottom line is that our city desperately needs a connected and efficient urban transportation system. Families are fed up with the traffic and lack of transit in Surrey.”
As part of her plan, Rasode will:
- Deliver rapid transit to Surrey, including Light Rail, more rapid buses and enhanced community shuttle service
- Invest in roads and intersections so families, businesses, cars, trucks, bikes, pedestrians and transit riders can get moving again
Surrey is dealing with serious crime and transportation issues because investments in these areas haven’t kept up with the city’s rapid growth. She said it’s imperative the City plan and manage growth in a smart and responsible way, and now is the time for action because another 100,000 people will move to Surrey over the next 10 years.
“We need to give the community a voice and we need to start respecting tax dollars, because waste and abuse of taxes will cripple our city,” says Rasode. She adds that transparency prevents corruption and stops reckless spending.
