July 11, 2014
Manitoba's Criminal Property Forfeiture Fund Provides New Resources for Police Services in Southern Manitoba
– – –Equipment to Help Officers Improve Public Safety for Area Residents: Minister Swan
WINKLER—Manitoba’s Criminal Property Forfeiture Fund will provide new resources and equipment to five police services in southern Manitoba, enhancing their ability to conduct investigations, reduce crime and improve public safety, Justice Minister Andrew Swan said here today.
“Technology can help police officers do their jobs more safely and effectively,” said Minister Swan. “Through the Criminal Property Forfeiture Fund, we are helping police services obtain the most modern technology, ensuring officers get critical information quickly so they can protect community members more effectively.”
Police services in Winkler, Morden and Altona will receive more than $122,000 to install computers in all 12 police vehicles serving these communities. This will allow officers from the three communities to share more information with each other to more effectively provide policing services and give 24-hour access to national and provincial databases.
“Grants provided to our police services through this fund allow us to purchase crime-fighting tools and equipment that otherwise might remain out of our reach,” said Chief Rick Hiebert, Winkler Police Service. “Equipping all of our police vehicles with computers greatly enhances the ability of front-line officers to detect and prevent crime with quick access to information. Officers will spend more time on the street, since they will be able to write reports and do other routine work without having to be in the police station.”
The minister also announced the Ste. Anne Police Department will receive more than $45,000 for a new digital fingerprinting systemthat will provide nearly instant results. The previous method of checking fingerprints could take months for routine, non-criminal matters. The Rural Municipality of Springfield Police Service will receive more than $7,800 to purchase a new digital camera to be installed in its police vehicle, to help ensure officer safety.
The minister said 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, more than $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.
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