Surrey has unveiled its new approach to crime in a plan called the Public Safety Strategy.
The 174-page document, unveiled at city hall on Monday, builds on the successes of the Crime Reduction Strategy (CRS) created by council in 2006.
As with its predecessor, the Public Safety Strategy has four general approaches, and also begins with prevention.
The new strategy parts with the CRS in language and essence by calling to Ensure Safe Places, Build Community Capacity and Support Vulnerable People.
Ensuring safe places calls for cleaning up distressed properties, implementation of closed circuit TV cameras among other existing programs.
The strand of building community capacity calls for emphasis on emergency planning, home safe programs, safe schools partnerships, volunteerism and mentorship.
The approach looking to support vulnerable people stresses the need fort an integrated services network, a community web portal and a network to eliminate violence in relationships.
“Our vision is a community where everyone is safe and engaged,” says the executive summary of the strategy. “Our mission is to work together across sectors to create measurable results.”
The new plan recognizes the vision laid out in the CRS.
“The work undertaken through the Crime Reduction Strategy has laid a very strong foundation for moving forward into a new focus on Public Safety.”
