Surrey Mayor criticized after city’s latest string of violence
Posted August 10, 2017 7:32 am.
Last Updated August 10, 2017 3:30 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SURREY (NEWS 1130) – As a new spike in gang violence hits the streets of Surrey, Mayor Linda Hepner will meet with senior RCMP officers and BC’s new Public Safety Minister today to try to find solutions.
The mayor is also drawing criticism for her recent silence on the issue.
Douglas Elford with the Newton Community Association says it would have been nice to see a statement from the mayor, especially after her city saw three shootings in 12 hours. But even then, he admits it wouldn’t solve much.
“We’ve heard this before, ‘we live in a relatively safe community, crime statistics are down, it’s not as bad as you think it is’, however it’s still happening.”
Elford says the bigger issue is that Surrey is operating with a single-party council and there’s no opposition to hold the mayor to task on issues like this.
“It just allows for people like the mayor to have a sense of security, to not have to worry about speaking out because she knows that no one on council that is willing to challenge them on these issues.”
He says without an opposition to challenge local leaders, what we’re left with is the status quo.
There have been over 30 shootings or shots fired calls in Surrey this year but Elford says these feuds have been going on for years.
