Surrey joins B.C.’s C-STEP crackdown on shoplifting and theft. New funding boosts community safety and enforcement in high-crime areas.
Boosting Community Safety with C-STEP in Surrey
The City of Surrey is among several municipalities in British Columbia benefiting from the province’s latest effort to combat property crime. The Community Safety and Targeted Enforcement Program (C-STEP), launched by the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, provides dedicated funding to support local enforcement, focusing on crimes like shoplifting, vandalism, and theft.
Targeting High-Impact Offences
C-STEP is designed to reduce the types of offences that most affect residents’ quality of life and businesses’ ability to operate safely. In urban hubs like downtown Surrey and high-traffic commercial areas, property crimes have become a persistent concern. The initiative provides law enforcement with additional resources to conduct targeted enforcement, community patrols, and proactive policing efforts.
Local Collaboration and Strategic Policing
Through C-STEP, Surrey RCMP and local law enforcement teams will collaborate with provincial agencies to gather intelligence, monitor known offenders, and enhance their visible presence in problem areas. The program emphasizes partnerships with community groups and small businesses to encourage reporting and improve response times.
Why C-STEP Matters Now
B.C. launched the initiative in response to a noticeable rise in property crimes since the pandemic, with some communities seeing double-digit increases in shoplifting and break-ins. Surrey, with its growing population and expanding business zones, is a key focus area for this provincial investment in safety.
How Residents and Businesses Benefit
The new funding supports not just enforcement but also community outreach, awareness campaigns, and infrastructure improvements like better lighting and CCTV in crime-prone zones. Business owners are encouraged to connect with local crime prevention officers to learn more about C-STEP-related support and tools.
