Image: Police tape / File / Pattison Media

By Trevor Halford - MLA for Surrey-White Rock

OPINION

YOUR PERSPECTIVE: David Eby & the NDP’s public safety failures must end

May 8, 2024 | 8:00 AM

In the wake of two horrifying stabbings that rocked our community in April, the people of White Rock are demanding action. During a recent town hall meeting, I listened as families shared their fear and frustration over the escalating violence that left one man fighting for his life and tragically claimed another. While the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) has now charged Dimitri Nelson Hyacinth with second-degree murder and aggravated assault, the damage has been done.

I’ve spoken to families like the Singh family, who are devastated after their loved one, Jatinder Singh, was attacked while peacefully enjoying the White Rock pier. Kulwinder Singh Sohi, another victim, was brutally murdered two days later. Kulwinder’s family organized a vigil in his memory, but no amount of mourning will bring him back. To hear that Kulwinder considered the White Rock beach his favourite place, only to have his life taken there, is heartbreaking.

These violent incidents have shaken the core of our community. Local businesses are seeing a dip in customers, families are avoiding the waterfront, and residents are telling their children to avoid the White Rock promenade. People aren’t feeling secure, and they have every right to be angry.

Unfortunately, these tragedies aren’t isolated—they’re symptomatic of a broader crisis in public safety that British Columbia’s NDP government has failed to address.

Premier David Eby and the NDP have imposed their disastrous “catch-and-release” policies on British Columbians, leading to a 37% spike in violent crime. Their reckless decriminalization experiment has unleashed chaos on our communities, allowing criminals to roam free, unchecked, and leaving families to deal with the terrifying consequences.

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The NDP promised better results, but all we’re seeing is an explosion of rampant drug use, random violence, and rising social disorder. While the police work tirelessly to protect us, the justice system continues to release dangerous individuals back onto our streets. It’s unacceptable.

If that weren’t enough, the NDP has also bungled the Surrey Police Service transition from the RCMP, leaving taxpayers footing the bill for a project with no clear end or total cost in sight. The years of uncertainty, delays, and political maneuvering have only added to the confusion and frustration among residents and officers alike. Instead of bringing clarity, the NDP’s lack of transparency and constant flip-flopping on key issues like funding have made it impossible to trust their leadership.

No matter who handles policing in Surrey, Eby’s “catch-and-release” policies, coupled with his disastrous decriminalization experiment and a never-ending cost-of-living crisis, will continue to fail residents. We need firm action to restore safety to our communities.

The NDP’s decision to decriminalize hard drugs without proper support for treatment and recovery has proven to be a deadly experiment. While David Eby tries to salvage this policy by limiting drug use in public places, it’s too little, too late. Our communities are suffering because of their failures.

We need to end this experiment and focus on compassionate treatment and recovery. BC United’s “Better is Possible” plan will shift the focus back to rigorous enforcement against drug trafficking while providing modernized facilities for those battling addiction. This plan supplements our “Safer BC” policy, which ensures law, order, and the return of public safety to B.C.

The government’s fundamental job is to keep people safe. Kevin Falcon and the BC United Caucus have a practical plan to address the escalating crime and violence in our communities. This includes ending decriminalization to ban open drug use in public spaces and provide a path to treatment, aggressively filling the 500 police vacancies to strengthen our law enforcement, and ensuring consequences for all crimes to deter repeat offenders while leading a government that listens, is transparent, and driven by outcomes, not ideology.

It’s time for a dramatic shift away from the NDP’s dangerous status quo. The people of White Rock and Surrey deserve better than empty words and failed promises. They deserve a government that prioritizes their safety and well-being.

Enough is enough. United, we will fix it.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of Fraser Valley Today or Pattison Media.