Increase Funding to Combat Gang Violence

WHEREAS gang violence in Metro Vancouver and across British Columbia is a significant and rising problem; AND WHEREAS there are gaps in the regional response to gang violence, between on-the-ground police officers and the provincial and regional integrated units; AND WHEREAS the Vancouver Police Department has taken a regional leadership role in the battle against gangs through programs projects such as Project Rebellion; AND WHEREAS Project Rebellion is extremely resource intensive, with the investigative team and Strike Force surveillance teams working at maximum capacity, as well as maximum staffing levels in wiretap facilities; AND WHEREAS the Vancouver Police Department and other municipal police forces are not funded to sustain the highly intensive, long-term operations necessary to combat gang violence; AND WHEREAS there is no cost-sharing mechanism for police efforts that carry over into surrounding municipalities: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the federal and provincial governments provide a long term, annual funding commitment to police forces to combat gang violence and that this funding enable the deployment of highly-intensive gang surveillance operations over an extended period of time.