Millions of dollars that once belonged to criminals are now going to be used to fund police initiatives aimed at preventing crime in Ontario.
Solicitor General Michael Kerzner announced Tuesday that 16 municipal police services, four OPP detachments, and three First Nations police services will share in more than $6 million over three years from the Proceeds of Crime Front-Line Policing (POC-FLP) Grant program. The funds come from property and cash forfeited to the province as proceeds of crime after criminal prosecutions.
“We’re using every tool including cash and proceeds seized from criminals to prevent crime and protect our communities,” said Kerzner. "This grant is to use the proceeds of crime and reinvest them in local communities to help reduce hate, help increase school safety, and help police services fight organized crime."
Police services in Ontario submitted applications to get a chunk of the money. Among the recipients is the London Police Service, the headquarters of which is where Tuesday's grant announcement was made. London police will get $300,000 for Project B.U.I.L.D.S. - Bringing Unity in London's Diverse Society - a new program to address high-risk and at-risk youths within the community.
"This initiative is in alignment with the priorities of our organization and that is building and strengthening community trust within this community," said London Police Service Chief Thai Truong. "This support from Minister Kerzner will enhance our efforts to prioritize youths and marginalized youths within our community. We will be able to create new programs that will allow us to engage with marginalized youths."
According to Truong, London has recorded a 200 per cent increase in the number of youths arrested for criminal offences since 2021. London police will be partnering with Atlohsa Family Healing Services and St. Leonard's Community Services to host workshops, training conferences, programs, and community events.
OPP in Central Huron and Goderich are each getting $256,500 for school based programs to increase safety and combat organized crime. The programs will see additional training programs for teachers, students and parents that focus on drug awareness, mental health and violence threat risk assessment. In Goderich, a portion of the money will also be used to bring an additional resource officer to schools and the installation of external cameras and digital speed signs in and around schools.
The Owen Sound Police Service will receive $300,000 to raise cultural awareness and eliminate hate in the region. It intends to accomplish this through training and information sessions, a public information campaign and community events. Officers with the police service will also be given up-to-date training on hate-motivated incidents and inclusion and develop new youth resources to stop cyber-bullying, online exploitation, and hateful speech.
To see the full list of Proceeds of Crime Front-Line Policing Grant recipients click here.
Since 2018, the grant program has provided over $16 million to establish crime prevention initiatives throughout the province.
