Abbotsford police step up enforcement in response to rising youth violence

Police say they have seen an alarming rise in cases of violence among young people, and are stepping up patrols and enforcement.

A recent uptick in violent incidents involving young people — including assaults, thefts and a fatal stabbing — has led Abbotsford police to raise red flags about growing safety concerns in the community.

“We’re often seeing youth gathering in groups, getting into trouble and making poor decisions — often fuelled by alcohol or street-style events,” Sgt. Paul Walker told CTV News.

“We’ve seen more street fights, more street-style robberies,” Walker said.

In May, a 15-year-old boy was stabbed to death at a local park.

To help tackle the issue, Walker says the department’s Youth Squad has introduced a summer-long strategy focused on intervention, enforcement and building stronger ties with local partners.

The initiative involves weekly outreach visits to youth identified as high-risk, along with support from outside organizations. Police say they’re also working with liquor retailers and law enforcement agencies throughout the Lower Mainland to prevent further violence and improve intelligence gathering.

“The strategy is to curb that violence and maintain public safety throughout Abbotsford,” said Walker. “And send a message that this is not tolerable in our community, and you will face consequences if you’re involved in that.”

Officers will be stepping up their presence at key locations — such as shopping centres, bus exchanges, parks and youth hubs — using both uniformed and plainclothes patrols. Bike units will also be out more frequently to increase police visibility.

Advocates say these issues stretch well beyond Abbotsford, especially when it comes to organized crime.

“It’s happening across the Lower Mainland,” Kal Dosanjh told CTV News. Dosanjh is a veteran Vancouver police officer and the founder and CEO of KidsPlay Foundation, a non-profit focused on keeping kids away from gangs, violence and drugs.

“These gangs — some coming from out east, from Toronto and Montreal — are using these kids like disposable resources,” he said.

Dosanjh said while there are many factors at play, a newer trend they’re seeing is a significant increase in students coming from war-torn countries at various schools in the region.

“A lot of these kids are bringing over a lot of that trauma. They’ve grown up in an environment of violence,” said Dosanjh. “These children have never been given an opportunity before where they have a safe platform.”

However, Dosanjh adds that there’s also been a rise in kids from wealth and privilege getting involved with gangs as well.

“They have everything they could possibly want, but they are still gravitating toward the lifestyle because it comes with power, violence, intimidation, money,” he said.

Abbotsford police say their latest strategy not only aims to deter violent behaviour, but also to address the social issues that often contribute to youth crime.

The department is encouraging parents to keep an open dialogue with their kids, especially if they notice negative changes in behaviour.