Campbell promises more police, prosecutors to curb gun violence

B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell is promising to put more police on the streets and more prosecutors in the courts to fight gang-related gun violence.

The province will redeploy resources to better protect the public from becoming innocent bystanders in a surging wave of gun violence, Campbell said Tuesday.

"We will need more police officers. We will focus them on gangs. And gangs in British Columbia should know this: If you're here, we're coming after you and you're not acceptable in our neighbourhoods," Campbell told a legislative session Tuesday.

It's not clear whether there will be new money to combat gang violence or whether the government will shift money from existing budgets. The premier said more details will be released in a few days.

Metro Vancouver has seen a spate of gun violence in the past week, with four fatalities. A couple of shootings occurred in broad daylight in public parking lots. No one has been arrested in any of the shootings.

"I'm talking about focusing [police] attention on gang activity because it's dangerous, it's violent, it's devastating people's lives, and we have to deal with it directly and that's what we intend to do," Campbell said.

NDP blames government cuts

Opposition house leader Mike Farnworth, of the NDP, said simply redeploying police officers is an inadequate response.

"We need new resources in the budget, we need new police officers in the budget, we need new Crown prosecutors in the budget. And a failure to do that is a complete failure to address the issue of crime and public safety in British Columbia," Farnworth said.

NDP Leader Carole James said the Liberals have closed 10 jails, failed to tighten bail rules to keep accused gang members off the streets and stalled the release of a report that recommends ways to keep illegal guns off the streets.

She suggested the rise in gang violence is connected to past Liberal government cuts to courts and corrections services.

"Ten correctional institutions closed, youth services cut, fewer courthouses in British Columbia — no wonder B.C. has become Canada's safe haven for organized crime," James said.