SURREY – Surrey Mayoral candidate Barinder Rasode this week released her ten point plan to crack down on crime and make Surrey one of the safest cities in Canada.
The 360-degree plan was developed in collaboration with senior law enforcement professionals and includes new investments in policing and crime prevention, as well as a new Office of Public Safety to coordinate the efforts of Surrey’s crime fighters.
“The wait-and-see approach hasn’t worked – it’s time for action. Both my opponents seem to believe that doing things the same old way will lead to different outcomes, but it is clear to me that only a real change in approach will work. For too long the City has muzzled police and ignored the community’s safety concerns. And, money that should’ve gone into public safety went elsewhere,” says Rasode.
“We need to hire more police, and get them out of their cars and into the streets. We need to keep our children out of trouble and on the right track. We need to empower our community leaders to address their concerns. And, we need to crack down on crime when it happens.”
But just as she had done following Rasode’s announcement of her candidacy, Surrey First’s Linda Hepner was quick to downplay her main challenger’s plan, saying it was basically a copy of her party’s Surrey Crime Reduction Strategy which has been in place since 2007,
” The only real difference is that Rasode’s version will spend $8 million to put 200 well-intentioned, but inexperienced, citizens on the street, creating a danger to themselves and the community,” Hepner said
“I really had to look at her plan twice to see what, if anything, was different from our existing crime prevention strategy that is already in place and well on its way to being completed as we speak.
Hepner seemed desperate with her latest attack on Rasode, especially since Rasode trotted out well respect veteran policeman Chief Constable Jim Cessford of the Delta Police Department, who helped Rasode develop the action plan.
“Barinder’s public safety plan is excellent and it will help make Surrey one of the safest cities in Canada,” Cessford said. “Her community-based policing model, which incorporates best practices from around the country, is tailor-made for the City of Surrey and will be an effective strategy to reduce crime and improve safety.”
“Surrey is facing a number of public safety challenges and it’s important that new strategies to tackle the issues are based on evidence and can be measured to ensure the highest level of effectiveness. The plan Barinder has developed is comprised of collaborative and innovative solutions that will help reduce crime and set new standards for public safety in Surrey,” says Professor Curt Taylor Griffiths, from the SFU Police Studies Program, who also provided input into the strategy.
The action plan includes 10 key strategies:
Building a community-based policing model.
Fostering a sense of community responsibility in our neighbourhoods.
Engaging community partners to make change.
Using problem-solving strategies to eliminate the root causes of crime.
Targeting high-risk and high-crime areas and properly managing chronic offenders.
Advocating for change in how we treat mental health, domestic violence and youth issues, while protecting our aging population.
Providing comprehensive care for victims of crime.
Establishing community courts to solve problems around mental health, addiction and domestic violence.
Listening to and empowering citizens through community consultations.
Keeping young people out of trouble by providing educational, economic, recreational and cultural opportunities.
