Surrey's mayor is in full support of the RCMP's new plan to release a list of known gang members in her city.
Dianne Watts says people need to know that gang members live in their communities and shop at the same stores.
She says the gang related violence in Surrey is not just an RCMP issue anymore.
“When somebody that's known as having gang affiliations frequents a business, what they have to do is to report that back to police. The police will do the enforcement piece of it and that's their job.”
CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade, Anita Huberman, agrees that police can't handle the problem on their own.
She says they need support from the business community.
"The Surrey Board of Trade for the past seven years has really advocated for the idea of businesses reporting crime. When there is gang activity or any type of criminal activity, I think the RCMP can’t do it on their own. They need support from the business community."
Huberman adds businesses need to develop a strong relationship with their community police, as to feel safe when reporting anyone affiliated with a gang.
The RCMP announced on Thursday that they're sending a list of known gangsters to police all over BC.
They will also send the media every name that they are legally allowed to.