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Feds, city announce funding to fight gun violence in Richmond

Richmond is getting $2.68M of a $250 million pot to help steer at-risk youth away from a life of crime
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Richmond mayor Malcolm Brodie (centre) was joined by members of city council and Steveston-Richmond East MP Parm Bains (right) on Friday to announce funding to combat gun violence among youth

The federal government aims to prevent gun violence with a cash injection of $250 million - of which Richmond will receive $2.68 million.

Richmond mayor Malcolm Brodie welcomed the funding on Friday, adding that it will feed programs targeting “at-risk youth” and young adults” with “mentoring, skills-building, training, outreach, and educational opportunities…”

The funding is coming from the federal government’s Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF).

Parm Bains, MP for Steveston-Richmond East, said the money will aim to help at-risk youth “make healthier choices and better set themselves up for success in life.”

The BSCF, which was first announced by the federal government in March 2022, will have a budget of up to $250 million to support local initiatives across Canada.

Bains said the fund builds on an earlier initiative which brought together all levels of government to tackle increased gun-related violence in Canada and collect data regarding gun violence.

The data will help Richmond provide young people involved in gangs with a better understanding of gun safety and penalties for indictable firearms-related offences, he added.

The federal government believes the BSCF is one of a number of ways to tackle the challenges of gun crime, noting that no single program or initiative can solve the problem.

The government allocated the funding based on the crime severity and population density of the municipalities and communities that meet the program requirements.