July 4, 2014
Province Announces Criminal Property Forfeiture Fund to Provide New Resources to RCMP
– – –Funding Also Provided to Support Manitoba's Victims' Services Programs: Minister Swan
Manitoba’s Criminal Property Forfeiture Fund will provide the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) with new tools to improve public safety, support the work of officers during investigations and continue important community programs, Justice Minister Andrew Swan announced today.
“The Criminal Property Forfeiture Fund is an opportunity to take money out of unlawful activity and reinvest it where it will make a positive difference,” said Minister Swan. “The RCMP has many important roles in our communities including community outreach, enforcement and protecting public safety. These new resources and investments will help them do their jobs more safely and effectively.”
The RCMP will receive nearly $205,000 to invest in community programs and other specialized equipment including:
- an unmanned aerial device, which will be used in search-and-rescue missions and during traffic accidents or critical incident investigations,
- two automated licence plate readers to support traffic safety efforts,
- surveillance equipment for the Manitoba Integrated Organized Crime Task Force,
- a trailer to transport tactical unit equipment during an emergency response, and
- ongoing programs in Stonewall and Selkirk that work with at-risk youth and their families.
“The safety, security and well-being of Canadians are the RCMP’s ultimate goals and the province’s investment in RCMP programs and equipment goes a long way to helping us accomplish those goals,” said Assistant Commissioner Kevin Brosseau, commanding officer, RCMP ‘D’ Division. “Having support for RCMP programs that assist at-risk youth as well as being able to work with sophisticated technology while conducting our investigations means we are able to work to prevent crime before it happens, but also investigate it fully if it does.”
In Thompson yesterday, Minister Swan announced more than $38,000 would also be provided to the RCMP to support youth cadet programs in Nelson House, Norway House and Cross Lake.
The minister noted the Manitoba Justice Victim Services branch will receive $150,000 from the fund to provide support to victims of crime and their families. The Office of the Fire Commissioner will receive more than $70,000 to purchase and receive training on the use of a new portable x-ray system, which will be used on the scene of fire investigations.
Funding for these projects is part of more than $1.2 million in grants that will be distributed this summer through the Criminal Property Forfeiture Fund. Since 2010, over $8 million in assets have been successfully forfeited to the province and reinvested with police agencies and victims’ services.
More information about criminal property forfeitures is available at: www.gov.mb.ca/justice/safe/cpf/index.html.
- 30 -