McGuinty Government Investing Over $12 Million To Target Criminals
Next Step In Guns And Gangs Strategy
HAMILTON, ON, June 6 /CNW/ - Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty today said
his government is doing its part to make communities safer by providing more
resources to target guns and gangs, marijuana grow operations, crystal
methamphetamine labs and other criminal activities.
"We all want to keep our communities safe from guns and gangs - that's
why we joined together last year to be tough on gun crime and tough on the
root causes of gun crime," said Premier McGuinty. "Now, we're building on that
work by going after more gangs in more communities and targeting criminal
operations like drug labs and grow-ops."
The McGuinty government is investing $6.3 million to expand a successful
anti-guns and gangs and anti-violence intervention program to several
communities outside of Toronto. Police services in the Golden Horseshoe, Essex
County, Durham, Kenora, London, Ottawa, Peel, Thunder Bay, Waterloo and York
Region will receive provincial funding to set up programs modeled on Toronto's
experience.
The Premier was joined at the announcement by Attorney General Michael
Bryant and Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services Monte
Kwinter.
"Ontario's organized justice approach means the McGuinty government is
working with police, prosecutors and local communities to do everything
possible to fight gun violence," said Bryant. "We are united with a
comprehensive approach to make our communities safer and get guns off our
streets."
"This initiative, along with the other steps we are taking, supports the
government's commitment to safer communities by being tough on crime and tough
on the causes of crime," said Community Safety and Correctional Services
Minister Monte Kwinter. "We are delivering the real, positive change that will
make Ontario strong, healthy and prosperous."
Today's announcement also includes:
- A Crystal Methamphetamine Elimination Project to target criminal
organizations that produce it
- Increasing the capacity of the Office of the Fire Marshal to
investigate fires and explosions from methamphetamine labs and
marijuana operations
- Creating a Provincial Advisory Group on Marijuana Grow Operations, and
- Enhancing the capacity of the Ontario Provincial Police, working with
municipal police services, to identify, locate, seize and forfeit the
illegal gains from criminal organizations.
These initiatives build upon the government's $51-million Guns and Gangs
Strategy that was announced in 2006. Other measures undertaken by the McGuinty
government to make communities safer have included:
- Completing the Safer Communities - 1,000 Officer Partnership Program,
a $37.1 million investment
- Creating the $28.5-million Youth Opportunities Strategy to help young
people faced with challenges achieve success
- Funding a $26-million Operations Centre for the Guns and Gangs Task
Force - the first of its kind in North America.
"Tackling gun crimes is a complex challenge - and criminal gangs are
always adapting and evolving - so we're giving our police services the
resources they need," said Premier McGuinty. "Our strategy is making progress
but we need to keep up the pressure by being tough on gun crime, targeting
gangs and providing young people with good choices."
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