The NDP promised Thursday to help eliminate gang violence by hiring another 2,500 RCMP officers and making gang recruitment illegal.
But the Conservatives immediately dismissed the tough-on-crime package as an empty promise, saying the NDP have no chance of forming government in the May 2 federal election.
The price tag for the NDP strategy is estimated at $250 million, which also includes pledges to double funding for programs that try to keep children from joining gangs, and make home invasions and car-jacking stand-alone crimes.
"Prince George families are increasingly worried about their kids getting involved in gangs," said Prince George-Peace River NDP candidate Lois Boone. "Prince George needs action now two stop gang recruiting and get more police officers on to the streets of our neighbourhoods," she said.
Prince George has a recognized gang problem, one that was the focus, recently, of a Community Solutions-Gang Crime Summit. Speakers at the summit, held five months ago, said the gang problem was entrenched in the community, where the gang violence often spills onto the streets.
Boone said the NDP approach was different than that of the Conservative government, which waits for problems to happen. She called the NDP approach proactive.
But Cariboo-Prince George Conservative candidate Dick Harris was dismissive of the NDP strategy, saying since they will not form government, they will never have to back up the plan.
He also said the plan is not believable considering that for the last five years, the NDP have voted against every tough-on-crime bill introduced by the Conservatives. They've voted against putting restrictions on conditional sentences for serious crimes, funding for prisons and making a sex registry retroactive, said Harris.
"To hear the NDP talk about getting tough on crime, I find almost hilarious," said Harris, the incumbent who has six consecutive election victories in the past 18 years.
The Conservatives also continued to roll out election promises.
On Thursday, the Conservatives said once the budget is balanced in 2015, individuals will be able to double the amount of money they can contribute each year to a Tax Free Savings Account to $10,000.
Candidates continue to put their name forward in the two Prince George ridings.
Rhinoceros Party candidate Jordan Turner says he will be running in Cariboo-Prince George. Turner, a business student at UNBC, said he was running to protest of the excessive number of elections.
This election is the fourth in seven years.
