Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth was in Prince George this week, holding roundtable discussions with local leaders on safety issues in the communities.
Farnworth met with Prince George city council, leaders of 15 area First Nations, and other regional community leaders during meetings this week.
“There is no silver bullet to deal with the issues in Prince George,” Farnworth said.
The issues Prince George is facing, including high crime rates and high rates of illicit drug overdose deaths, are issues many communities are grappling with, he said.
In his meetings with Prince George city council, he said he heard loud and clear the need for mental health and addiction treatment options in the city.
And while the solutions to local public safety issues aren’t “one size fits all,” he said, initiatives taken by the provincial government, including the move to decriminalize small amounts of illicit drugs for personal use and $230 million announced November to enhance rural policing, will help in Prince George.
“Policing is a local government responsibility. (But) at the same time, the province has responsibilities for the smaller communities,” Farnworth said. “Prince George is a hub community. If they don’t have (resources) in Fort St. James, people come to Prince George.”
Farnworth said he expects the meetings this week to be the first of many, and his ministry will be working in partnership with other ministries on issues like housing and mental health and addictions, he added.
