Surrey names a new safety czar

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — A former Vancouver Police constable will hold Surrey’s safety in his hands.

Dr. Terry Waterhouse won’t officially start his job as director of public safety strategies until December 7, but he already has some idea of the difficult task he’s up against.

He was brought in to the newly created position after a string of gun violence earlier this year.

“It’s important for that most serious concern to be front and center, it’s a very big issue and it needs to be an issue that is front and centre in strategy development,” Waterhouse said.

“The benefit is that in Surrey, they’ve been working on crime reduction for many years, and there are a lot of pieces in play, and I think it’s building on those that we’ll be able to see the greatest success.”

In the past, Waterhouse has served as chief safety officer at Simon Fraser University, director for the centre for safe schools and communities at the University of Fraser Valley, worked with United Nations and youth justice agencies in Kosovo, Ethiopia and Vietnam, and served 10 years as a Vancouver Police constable.

Mayor Linda Hepner said in a written statement, “from his global experience with the most vulnerable, at-risk youth to his knowledge and expertise in the integration of public safety best practices, Dr. Waterhouse’s technical skills, academic background and leadership abilities will serve him well in this critical role for the City.”

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