April 10, 2025
Manitoba Government Invests in New Crime Suppression Unit in Thompson to Increase Safety in Rural and Northern Manitoba
– – –Investment of $250,000 Will Fund New Crime Suppression Unit to Enhance Public Safety and Prevent Crime: Wiebe
The Manitoba government is helping fight crime in Thompson and rural Manitoba by providing $250,000 in funding to support the establishment of a crime suppression unit as part of the province’s Public Safety Strategy, Justice Minister Matt Wiebe announced today.
“Our government is funding a new crime suppression unit to address crime and increase public safety in Thompson,” said Wiebe. “We look forward to working with the City of Thompson, law enforcement and community safety officers to make this new unit a reality. This initiative will enhance our efforts to combat crime by providing vital resources and dedicated personnel to strengthen our efforts in creating a safer community for everyone.”
The crime suppression unit (CSU) will be a specialized team focused on tackling and addressing serious crimes, consisting of four RCMP officers and four community safety officers. The team will work in collaboration with local law enforcement to identify crime trends and tackle the root causes of crime and social disorder in Thompson, noted the minister.
“The Province of Manitoba’s support for the crime suppression unit in Thompson will help address long-standing issues in our downtown core,” said Mayor Colleen Smook, City of Thompson. “Having dedicated officers patrolling the downtown area will prevent unwanted behaviour and improve public safety.”
The CSU will help strengthen the RCMP detachment and proactively address public safety concerns in the community, noted the minister. The addition of mental health workers, social workers, addictions outreach specialists, paramedics and probation officers to the CSU will also be considered as the program evolves, added Wiebe.
In November 2024, the Manitoba government released the Safer Neighbourhoods, Safer Downtowns Public Safety Strategy that included a commitment to improve northern and rural safety by being tough on the roots and causes of crime. The province will continue to work with stakeholders, regional and rural municipalities to create a safer Manitoba, the minister noted.
The Safer Neighbourhoods, Safer Downtowns Public Safety Strategy can be viewed at https://gov.mb.ca/justice/pubs/publicsafety_strategy.pdf.
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