Maple Ridge secures $1.1M in federal funding to expand youth violence prevention program

The City of Maple Ridge has secured more than $1.1 million in federal funding to continue its RISE youth violence prevention initiative for another three years.

The funding, announced Monday through Public Safety Canada’s Building Safer Communities Fund, will support the city-led program aimed at reducing youth vulnerability, preventing gang involvement and youth violence, and connecting young people with community supports.

Mayor Dan Ruimy said the renewed funding will allow the city to build on the program’s early results.

“We are grateful to Public Safety Canada for this continued investment in Maple Ridge and for recognizing the success and importance of this work,” Ruimy said. “This funding allows us to build on the real difference that RISE, our flagship program, is making for young people and families in our community.”

The federal government announced July 27 that Maple Ridge was among several communities across Canada receiving funding for locally designed prevention and intervention programs that address the root causes of gun and gang violence.

Launched in April 2023, RISE brings together the City of Maple Ridge, Maple Ridge RCMP, School District 42, health-care providers and community service organizations to identify and support youth at risk through early intervention, prevention programs, education and community engagement.

According to the city, the next phase of the program will continue focusing on prevention, early intervention and strengthening positive social connections for youth through community organizations, families and mentors.

The work will continue to be anchored by the Family & Youth Resource Support Team (FYRST), which integrates a youth and family counsellor, youth outreach worker and RCMP youth liaison officers into city operations.

Maple Ridge RCMP Superintendent Martin Guay said the partnership allows police and community agencies to intervene before problems escalate.

“This collaboration between the City and the RCMP gives us a unique opportunity to support vulnerable youth earlier and more effectively,” Guay said. “By working with community service agencies, we can provide individualized support, strengthen referral pathways and help families and youth build the resilience they need to move forward in a positive way.”

Since its launch just over three years ago, the city says RISE has reached nearly 8,000 children, youth, parents, service providers and community members through intervention, prevention and education programs.

Among youth who participated in intervention services, the proportion considered high risk dropped from 14 per cent when they entered the program to six per cent when their files were closed, while moderate-risk cases declined from 49 percent to 20 percent.

The city also reported a 71 percent reduction in average monthly RCMP time spent per youth after their involvement in the program.

Overall, RISE has provided intervention services to 89 youth and caregivers, delivered more than 2,000 hours of prevention programming and trained 219 service providers to improve coordination and collaboration between agencies.

The Building Safer Communities Fund provides federal funding to municipalities and Indigenous communities for initiatives designed to steer children, youth and young adults away from gangs and gun violence through prevention, intervention and stronger community connections.

The City of Maple Ridge said additional details about the renewed three-year project and its implementation will be released later this year.