Dhaliwal Stands with the Canadian Police Association, Urging the Government to Put More Officers on the Ground in Surrey and Delta.

OTTAWA —  Sukh Dhaliwal, Member of Parliament for Newton-North Delta, following his meetings with members of the Canadian Police Association, decried the Harper government`s betrayal of its 2006 election promise to put more police officers on the ground. The association, which represents 57,000 officers across the country, has been in Ottawa for meetings this week, urging the government to put some substance behind its rhetoric and address the issue of getting more police on the streets in British Columbian communities.

“The simple fact of the matter is that the $400 million set aside in the 2008 for the Policeman’s Recruitment Fund had no strings attached when it was distributed to the provinces, and it also had a five year timeline for the money to be delivered,” said Dhaliwal. “There is actually no way it could have ever lived up to the commitment of 2,500 more officers on the streets. At a time when gang violence has spiked in our community, this amounts to nothing but unconscionable neglect.”

The association’s representatives are hoping to gain support for a real action plan to get more police officers in communities. It is just one of several key recommendations it has brought to the attention of the Harper government in order to improve working conditions and benefits for those on the front lines in our communities.

“For all of this government’s talk of being tough on crime,” Dhaliwal added, “it has never had any intention of actually delivering on the number of officers that would make a difference in our communities, that much is clear. All they had to do was talk to any police chief who has dealt with the rise of gang violence over the past few months and they would have realized the importance of living up to its promises.”

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For more information, please contact

604-506-0735

DhaliS1B@parl.gc.