Windsor police are getting a boost from Queens Park for a useful crime-fighting tool.
The service is receiving a $200,000 grant from the provincial government to expand its video surveillance capabilities. The grant covers half of the total cost of an ongoing project, up to $200,000 for each project.
The money is part of the Ontario CCTV Grant Program, which will help replace outdated or defective equipment, expand or enhance camera technology, and install new CCTV cameras in areas that have had increases in violent crime or human trafficking.
Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie said the government grant was a no-brainer, given the effectiveness of cameras in identifying suspects.
"Criminals targeting Forest Glade, East Windsor, Fontainebleau, Walkerville, Ford City and Riverside have been identified and charged thanks to existing CCTV surveillance systems in our community," said Dowie in a media release. "The Province’s investment in updates and new additions to our CCTV technology, supported by Premier Doug Ford and Solicitor General Michael Kerzner, is truly welcome news and will support the efforts of the Windsor Police Service to deter would-be criminals from coming into our neighbourhoods."
Mayor Drew Dilkens called the grant a welcome investment.
"This $200,000 investment will provide substantial support to the Windsor Police Service by expanding our CCTV systems to deter criminal activity related to gun and gang violence and improve public safety," said Dilkens. "Thank you to Doug Ford and the Ontario Government for helping us create safer streets for everyone in our community."
The Windsor police is one of 20 law-enforcement agencies across Ontario to receive a grant for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. The province-wide total is $1.8-million.
Information on the province's ongoing crime prevention programs can be found on the Ontario government's official website.