In many communities there are a percentage of youth who are not connected to services, mental health supports, education, the health care system, family justice -- the list goes on and on

To assist communities facing increased gun and gang violence throughout British Columbia, six programs aimed at enhancing efforts to prevent, disrupt and combat this violence will receive sustained funding through the Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund from Public Safety Canada.

“Prevention and intervention at the community level are important parts of combating the gun and gang violence that we’ve seen across our province,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General.

“Working with our federal, municipal and community partners, we can strike at the root of the problem in our neighbourhoods to ensure our youth are resilient to the lure of gangs and gang violence, helping them make positive life choices while laying the groundwork for a safer, more positive future for all citizens in B.C.”

Chris Pettman, Executive Director of the Cariboo Family Enrichment Centre Society (one of 6 organizations receiving funding) commented to me that, “The Navigator will work in partnership with external agencies and community stakeholders to develop a wrap-around approach to client care, in order to reduce systemic barriers to services.  In these ways we hope to reduce many factors negatively affecting our youth”.

He then went on to state, “We can best do this by re-establishing safe and appropriate mentors, by re-establishing healthy connections families, enhancing primary caregiver support, and moving youth away from unsafe supports.”

“The Youth and Family Navigator engages, educates, and empowers youth and families to address issues including building connection to positive supports, identifying and overcoming barriers, conflict, homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse, referral to services, education, and employment.”

Funding announced Tuesday by the provincial government will build upon one of the NDP’s first announcements, providing the Surrey Wrap program with ongoing, annual funding of $500,000.  That money will go towards delivering anti-gang programming to youth in Surrey. Youth and families currently being served by had at last count grown from 131 to 168.

B.C.’s first allocation of $5.3 million in funding over two years, from the Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund, will support community-specific initiatives aimed at preventing and intervening in local gang activity in specific areas struggling with gun and gang crime.

Speaking for the Abbotsford Police Depart, Chief Constable Mike Serr stated that:

“Enforcement strategies alone will not end gang violence. We must continue to invest in prevention, intervention and education programs that support our community”.

“Tuesday’s (April 23^rd) funding announcement is critically needed to support at-risk youth and their families in Abbotsford. These programs compliment the work being done by the Abbotsford Police Department to suppress gang violence and keep our city safe”

And from Williams Lake City Mayor Walt Cobb, came thoughts on being pro-active, and being supportive of actions to curb youth gang violence:

“We sent a letter of support for the applications and anytime we can be proactive is a good thing.  There hasn’t been that that much activity lately as a couple of the (gang) ring leaders are either in jail or were killed. The crime unit that we were funded for a couple of years ago have cleaned it up a lot so if we can now be proactive and keep them from recruiting at risk youth that will be great.”

Again, speaking with Chris Pettman, he acknowledged that being in a small and rural community, they see the disenfranchised youth and have been seeking for ways to best support this vulnerable sector.

Now, with this funding programs in BC will be able to provide sustainable program delivery that will emphasize community engagement, targeted training and the development of gun and gang violence prevention tools for Indigenous communities.

The announced gang-related prevention and intervention programs are based in:

Abbotsford where nearly $1 million will go to Abbotsford In It Together to support youth involved in gang activity program ... as well as just under a quarter million dollars to the Abbotsford Community Services Society’s Enhancing Gang Prevention and Intervention Programming with South Asian Youth.

The Cariboo-Chilcotin region will see $207,795 for the Cariboo-Chilcotin Child Development Centre Association’s Future Forward program, as well as the already mentioned Cariboo Family Enrichment Centre Society’s Youth and Family Navigator program which will receive $173,361.

Capital Regional District, will be the recipients of funding of $450,00 to the Pacific Centre Family Services Association’s Crime Reduction and Exploitation Diversion program, along with nearly $600,000 to the BC School Superintendents Association’s, based out of Vancouver, for their Support for High Risk, Vulnerable Youth in BC Communities program.

This upfront investment in community-based prevention and intervention programs will enable sustained operations over the next several years.  For example, funding for the Cariboo Family Enrichment Centre Society will allow programing for the next 3 years.

While that effort is taking place in the Cariboo, the BC School Superintendents Association's program to support High Risk, Vulnerable Youth in BC Communities program, develope educational and crime prevention curriculum and tools together with Indigenous partners. In addition to creating learning resources for educators, online resources will also be explored for students and parents designed to increase awareness of local gang and drug issues, gang recruitment strategies and available supports for at-risk youth.

According to the Ministry of Public Safety and the Solicitor General, a balance of prevention, intervention and enforcement strategies is important for success in any community – that means continuing to work with federal and municipal partners to pull out all the stops to identify bold, new actions that can support police, schools and citizens in curbing gun and gang violence and saving young lives.

While the Executive Director of the Cariboo Family Enrichment Centre Society’s Youth and Family Navigator program Indicated he couldn’t speak on how they were chosen to receive the funding, Chris Pettman indicated they were excited to finally offer a Youth and Family Navigator role for the South Cariboo!

“I have been working at the Cariboo Family enrichment Centre for 8 years, and it has always been a dream of mine to have a Youth/Family Navigator role in our community”, commented Chris Pettman, the society’s Executive Director.

“Part of the role of the navigator will be to meet the youth where they are at; in other words, wherever youth are; we will be there. In schools, rec centres, at MCFD, on the streets, at our Raven youth activity centre, etc”. 

But what about the trust issue I asked Chris, who then quickly responded to my question?

“We have a dedicated department (Youth Services) that have established many connections both with youth and the systems they navigate”.

In reviewing their website, the BC Schools Superintendents Association works on values to Inspire, Develop and provide Support. That very much is fitting with their vision that a dynamic and successful public education system is fundamental to a democratic society, and that it must provide our children and youth with an inspiring foundation for lifelong learning and citizenship.

That also seems to be fitting with the goal of Prevention and intervention at the community level this new funding is to be used for.