![External view of Surrey City Hall at dusk as viewed from the plaza](/sites/empowersurrey/files/styles/21x9_1100w/public/2021-03/CityHallDusk.jpg?h=882abf10&itok=GCvslKqp)
About
Calling all parents, caregivers and trusted adults! Empower Surrey is for you.
Addressing gang violence in our communities is complex and involves investment in all three pillars—prevention, intervention and enforcement. Studies show a young person's vulnerability to gang recruitment can be greatly reduced through early engagement, education and, most importantly, strong connections with parents, caregivers and other trusted adults in the community.
The resources on this site are meant to support parents, caregivers, and other trusted adults to better understand safety related issues from a youth perspective and build strong connections. With funding support from the Province of British Columbia, this website features educational resources, information on how to identify and address risk factors, tips and tools to start early conversations with your child, as well as links to prevention, intervention and enforcement programs offered throughout Surrey.
Empower Surrey was developed by the City of Surrey’s Community Safety section with input from over 100 local youth ages 14 to 19, and experts working in our community. This website is a unique and valuable resource for caring adults to access firsthand information and become equipped with the knowledge to better understand issues, topics, and environments that youth face everyday in our community.
The main themes and issues for Empower Surrey were contributed by youth. We engaged over 100 Surrey youth in the preliminary round of consultations and we will continue to collaborate with and learn from youth.
To supplement the insight gained from Surrey youth, local organizations provided expert opinions and resources. The following organizations are instrumental to the success of Empower Surrey: