Chatham-Kent police have received provincial funding to make the community safer.
Local MPP Rick Nicholls announced on Tuesday nearly $1.7 million in funding from the Community Safety and Policing (CSP) grant via the local priorities funding stream. A news release issued on Tuesday stated the grant will help police services pay for personnel, training, equipment, engagement and education, as well as research and analysis.
Chief Gary Conn said these funds will assist immensely in supporting local initiatives to increase community safety and well-being.
"The funding received goes directly toward our Community Mobilization Unit, Mobile Crisis Team, Youth Officer and Public Information Officer," said Conn. "These units work in collaboration with our community partners in mitigating complex social issues, such as people suffering from mental health, drug addictions, homelessness and further public safety concerns associated with property crimes."
The funding is part of the $195 million given to police services across the province to combat crime.
“Community safety has been one of the central themes of my time in office for the people of Chatham-Kent-Leamington,” said MPP Rick Nicholls. “This supports the work we did earlier this year in the COPS Act to ensure our law enforcement personnel have all the tools they need to keep us safe."
The federal and provincial governments have invested $105.4-million to date to fight gun and gang violence across the province through the Ontario Guns, Gangs, and Violence Reduction Strategy.
The news release from Nicholls stated police services will be required to report annually on the outcomes of initiatives, such as an increase in support for front-line officers and/or an increase in community safety and well-being, for both the local and provincial priorities funding streams of the CSP grant program.
Nicholls added local police programs for the elimination of trafficking of drugs, illegal weapons, human trafficking, and labour fraud have been growing in size and scope.
In early December, the province announced $2.4 million to help 172 police services with their RIDE (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) programs. Chatham-Kent police got just over $24,000 to conduct road checks this Christmas while almost $13,500 went to the OPP of Essex County-based in Leamington to keep our roads safe.
