The City of Delta's mayor is asking the provincial government to assist with more action to help curb the gang violence plaguing the Lower Mainland.
In a letter last week to Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Mayor George Harvie made a couple of suggestions to immediately enhance public safety as well as curb gang activity in the long-term.
Harvie suggested providing increased daily and weekly coverage of the RCMP Air 1 helicopter. Enhancing aerial coverage will assist with a rapid response to crime scenes and the pursuit of suspects risking public safety on roadways, he explained.
He noted coverage from noon to 3 a.m., seven days a week, would be ideal.
Harvie also requested the province examine legislation to establish “significant consequences” for vehicle operators in dial-a-dope operations and rental agencies, as well as vehicle owners whose vehicles are involved in illegal activities.
He noted the preferred method for dial-a-dope operations is through delivery services that utilizes cars which, in most cases, are rentals.
The province’s immediate roadside suspension legislation for impaired drivers can serve as an example, said Harvie, adding such legislation would make it difficult for gang members to carry out dial-a-dope activities.
“Public safety is paramount. Resolving the current Lower Mainland District gang conflict requires a combined effort by multiple agencies. By working together and focusing on solutions that address enforcement, education, outreach, and prevention, we can take important steps to protecting our communities,” Harvie wrote.
Delta police are investigation the May 1 daylight shooting of 29-year-old Bikramdeep Randhawa outside the busy Scottsdale Mall.
It’s just one of a string of recent brazen shootings in public places in the Lower Mainland, violence that’s believed to have now spread to Vancouver Island and even into Alberta.
