Surrey adding police and surveillance to tackle crime
Posted February 14, 2014 11:59 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SURREY (NEWS1130) Surrey hopes to take a bite out of crime concerns with a plan that includes more police, more surveillance, and a by-law that targets owners of problem homes.
The City has released an action plan that includes 24 new RCMP officers over two years and 20 foot patrol personnel.
New surveillance cameras will include licence plate readers to spot stolen vehicles and a new nuisance by-law will target problem homes.
Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts, council and RCMP stood in the city hall lobby to announce the new measures today.
“Also currently underway [is] an independent review of the RCMP detachment operations, specifically [relating to] deployment and resourcing,” says Watts.
She adds they’ll continue to confront and disrupt crime. “We will be relentless and we will not stop. We will be sending the message, as we always have been, that criminals are not welcome here.”
The mayor’s announcement comes amid ongoing concerns about crime in Newton.
The question remains will these new measures help people to feel safer.
This woman works on Scott Road and says even though things have changed in her area — she still worries at night. “There are a lot of police officers that hang out there more often now, but it’s just a really terrible place”
This woman agrees with the measures and adds more police presence is needed.
“Four guys dressed in bright yellow jackets don’t really do it for me, there’s not much that they can do. I think more actually police presence at night time would definitely help.”
Surrey ended last year with a record 25 homicides, including the beating death of Julie Paskall outside Newton Arena.
