TORONTO, May 23 /CNW/ - Attorney General Michael Bryant today announced

the deployment of specialized anti-gun and gang Crown prosecutors to every

region across the province, as part of the Guns and Gangs Task Force.

    "The McGuinty government recognizes gun violence is not limited to the

Toronto area," said Bryant. "That is why we are deploying expert Crown

prosecutors to every region in the province, to work full-time as a resource

to police and prosecutors on gun violence matters."

    In order to further bolster the fight against gun violence, the Ministry

will also appoint a specialized Information Technology (IT) Crown prosecutor

and a Crown policy specialist to the Task Force.

    The IT Crown prosecutor will provide support to investigation and

prosecution teams across the province on issues relating to the use and

management of electronic disclosure and the use and presentation of high tech

evidence. Also, as an IT expert, the IT Crown prosecutor will be able to

assist trial Crowns by suggesting new ways to present complex evidence through

the use of high tech programs and equipment.

    "As prosecutions become larger and more complex, we need to utilize new

technology," said Bryant. "Effectively fighting gun crime involves organizing

our justice system to stay one step ahead of the criminals. These dedicated

and specialized Crown prosecutors will develop new strategies and tactics to

combat crime."

    The McGuinty government is on the side of Ontarians concerned about crime

and safety. That is why the government is implementing a $51-million package

of initiatives to fight gun crimes. The package includes:

        -  expanding the number of Crown prosecutors working on the Guns and

           Gangs Task Force to 64

        -  establishing a state-of-the-art provincial operations centre to

           allow for highly co-ordinated investigations and prosecutions of

           guns and gang-related offences

        -  fast tracking the hiring of 1,000 additional police officers so

           that they can be on the streets by the end of 2006.