City of Surrey launches new website to help keep kids out of gang life

Today the City of Surrey’s Community Safety section launched a new website dedicated to helping parents, caregivers and other trusted adults buildprotective factors among Surrey children and youth to reduce their susceptibility for gang involvement.

Called Empower Surrey, the website aims to enhance the impact of the Surrey Anti Gang Family Empowerment program and is available in over 80 languages.

It features information on Surrey’s unique gang landscape, how to identify and address risk factors, tips and tools to start early conversationswith children and youth, and links to free prevention, intervention and enforcement programs available to Surrey residents.

Development of the website was informed by more than 100 Surrey youth aged 14 to 19 who, through focus groups, surveys and online meetings held during the fall of 2020, provided feedback andinsights into the challenges they face at school, home and in the community.

"In B.C., gangs target children as young as 10 years old from a variety of demographic, geographic, and socio-economic environments," said Brian Aasebo, Community Safety manager for the City’s Parks, Recreation & Culture department.

"Being well informed on this topic in elementary school provides an opportunity to start the conversation early and begin building protective factors that help maintain strong connections through adolescence, a time when youth typically begin to exert independence and explore relationships with people outside of their family."