91Ƶ

Skip to content

91ƵFurious91Ƶ Surrey mayor will push Horgan for increase on provincial funding for crackdown on gangs

Linda Hepner says she is 91Ƶembarrassed91Ƶ after 91Ƶthugs91Ƶ shoot innocent bystander, a 64-year-old woman from Ontario
7665523_web1_170711-SNW-M-web1_hepner

SURREY 91Ƶ Mayor Linda Hepner is 91Ƶashamed91Ƶ that an in Surrey on Sunday.

91ƵI just felt so embarrassed,91Ƶ she told the Now-Leader. 91ƵWe do such good work, we have such outstanding people living here and all the good things that happen and then these thugs put such a stain on Surrey. I think they91Ƶre vile. I don91Ƶt know what other word to use for them.91Ƶ

Hepner said she contacted the victim, a 64-year-old woman from Ontario. She was 91Ƶgrazed91Ƶ by a bullet, police say, suffering superficial injuries. The shooting happened in the 7700 Block of 147A Street at around 3:30 p.m.

According to Staff Sgt. Dale Carr, the RCMP believe that the intended victims took off in a black Hyundai missing a front bumper while the suspects were seen leaving the area in a red pick-up truck. The red truck was later found on fire in the 9000 block of 150th Street. Witnesses reported that two men were seen running away.

Hepner described the victim as a 91Ƶgentle spirit91Ƶ with a 91Ƶkind demeanour.91Ƶ

91ƵYou could tell it was horrible for her and it91Ƶs horrible for all of us.91Ƶ

91ƵReally, I just wanted to call her and see, first of all, how she was doing and secondly to tell her that was not reflective of the City of Surrey generally. I utilized the scenario, that look at the tens of thousands of people we had in the (FVDED in the Park) concert over the weekend without a single incident. This was totally unacceptable from my perspective.91Ƶ

  • SEE ALSO:

Hepner said she91Ƶs 91Ƶfurious.91Ƶ

91ƵWe91Ƶve seen our crime rate go down tremendously and then we have this single incident that throws us back into that arena of people being frightened and into that arena of a reputational stain and it just angers me beyond belief. They all need to be behind bars as far as I91Ƶm concerned and quite frankly, I91Ƶll do whatever I can to make sure that happens.91Ƶ

Hepner said police are making this file a top priority and are 91Ƶworking around the clock91Ƶ to find those responsible .

91ƵI know they91Ƶve got some good leads,91Ƶ she added. 91ƵI have every belief that we91Ƶll get them. But it91Ƶs just the fact that now we need to keep them.91Ƶ

The mayor said she wants to see provincial funding increased for cracking down on gangs.

91ƵI intend on talking with our Premier-Designate (John Horgan) as well as our local MLAs to see what it is that they can help with relative to this provincial issue. I would91Ƶve said a Lower Mainland issue around gang suppression, but I think with what we91Ƶre seeing now throughout the province we91Ƶre going to have to throw more money at gang units.91Ƶ

  • SEE ALSO:

Hepner said there were cuts to the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit several years ago and it91Ƶs time to look at reinstating that funding.

91ƵThat91Ƶll be the first thing on my agenda, is it time to bump that up again?91Ƶ

91ƵThe issue is what do you do with these creatures once you get them? There is absolutely no sympathy from me for somebody who does that on the street91Ƶ I think to end up in such a way that you have zero consideration for the public at large is just beyond comprehension.91Ƶ

91ƵHere we are, we91Ƶre recognized as one of the brightest cities in the world, we have some of the best events that are free for citizens91Ƶ we provide all the programs we can with recreation for those that are at-risk, we go through the process of engaging the schools and then in the blink of an eye something like this happens and it just creates such a stain on the community that it becomes irreversible for a period of time again and that91Ƶs beyond any sense of goodness.91Ƶ

amy.reid@surreynowleader.com

With files from Katya Slepian





(or

91Ƶ

) document.head.appendChild(flippScript); window.flippxp = window.flippxp || {run: []}; window.flippxp.run.push(function() { window.flippxp.registerSlot("#flipp-ux-slot-ssdaw212", "Black Press Media Standard", 1281409, [312035]); }); }