Well, at least we’re not El Salvador. Sixty-two people were murdered recently in that Central American country over 24 hours.

While ÐÔÊӽ紫ý is a far cry from that level of havoc, we still have our problems with gun violence on our streets, again witnessed over the past week. Therefore it is important that we – meaning legislators, the judiciary, police, parents, educators and the community at large – do all we can to try to curb crime here at home.

One measure includes the City of ÐÔÊӽ紫ý offering free gang prevention workshops to parents in April through June, at nine local elementary and secondary schools. The two-hour Empower ÐÔÊӽ紫ý Parent Workshops aim to give parents the tools to recognize and respond to warning signs that their child is getting mixed up with gangsters.

READ ALSO: ÐÔÊӽ紫ý launches website aimed at keeping city’s young people away from gang life

According to the city’s Community Safety section, gangs are targeting kids as young as 10 years old. The workshops are typically held on weeknights, from 6 p.m to 8 p.m., between April 19 and June 7.

Anyone with reason to suspect their child might be vulnerable to criminal influence should consider attending a session, for the good of their child, themselves and society as a whole. Participants will hear from professionals from the Community Safety Section, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia (CFSEU), clinical counsellors from SFU, and from the ÐÔÊӽ紫ý Anti-Gang Family Empowerment (SAFE) Program.

To register, and for more information, go online and check out empowersurrey.ca/parentworkshops.

As they say, knowledge is power.

– Now-Leader

edit@surreynowleader.com
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