She says to address gang violence, stereotypes and stigmas need to be addressed

Bains was in Ottawa addressing the House of Commons

SURREY (NEWS 1130) – A local woman says more needs to be done to address gang violence in Surrey, and she has taken the issue all the way to Parliament Hill.

Following a number of shootings in Surrey this past week, Jasleen Bains is calling for more help from all levels of government.

Bains, a student at SFU, was one of the women taking part of the Daughters of the Vote program at Parliament Hill this week.

She took the issue of gang violence with her, calling it a broad problem that isn’t tied to just one group in Surrey.

This week, I had the honour of delivering a statement in the House of Commons about gang violence within the City of Surrey. It was an incredible experience, one that I will never forget. #DaughtersoftheVote #cdnpoli #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/mkfcaiGNCd — Jasleen Bains (@_jasleenbains) April 6, 2019

“Families have lost loved ones and our communities have been shaken,” she says. “There is a real issue present, one that cannot be fixed with labels or stereotypes.”

She says in order to address the issue, it’s important to knock down those stereotypes and stigmas.

“It is the labels and stereotypes that really damage holistic programming and collaborative approaches with families and schools.”

Bains says additional funding targeting at youth and vulnerable individuals is desperately needed, with support from all levels of government.