The Ontario government is investing $5.45 million over three years to provide Brantford Police Services, Six Nations Police Service and Brant OPP with significant new resources to safeguard Brantford, Six Nations of the Grand River and the County of Brant. This funding is part of Ontario’s $267 million investment in the Community Safety and Policing (CSP) Grant Program for initiatives that help combat crime locally.
“I am pleased to announce this new funding that will benefit the entire region,” said Brantford-Brant MPP Will Bouma. “Dollar for dollar, this money will be very effective because the programs that it will fund originated from the grassroots police services who know the reality on the ground locally.”
Brantford Police Service, Six Nations Police and Brant OPP are three of 90 police service boards receiving funding through the CSP Grant Program for 147 public safety initiatives focusing on local and provincial priorities such as gun and gang violence, sexual violence and harassment, human trafficking, mental health and addictions and hate-motivated crime. Many projects will be undertaken in collaboration with community partners.
“Community safety is a top priority, and our government has been strengthening our justice system to protect communities and hold offenders accountable,” said Solicitor General Sylvia Jones. “This investment is another way we are helping police services address local challenges and improve the well-being of the people they serve. Whether to combat the opioid crisis, share intelligence, or prevent violent crime, this funding will make a difference in all corners of Ontario.”
The programs and respective police service are:
Six Nations Police: $1,499,280.00 for “Six Nations Police Service Gun and Gang Initiative”
Brantford Police: $1,500,000.00 for “Brantford Police Service – High Enforcement & Action Team”
Brantford Police: $1,460,761.20 for “Community Safety & Policing (CSP) Grant: Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT)”
Brantford Police: $700,685.65 for “COAST: Crisis Outreach and Supportive Team”
Brant OPP Police: $295,096.95 for “Project Serve and Detect: A Joint Collaboration with Brant Safe Streets”
“On behalf of the Brantford Police Service, I would like to thank the Government of Ontario for providing funding necessary to maintain our MCRT and COAST Programs in collaboration with St. Leonard’s Community Services”, said Brantford Police Service Chief Rob Davis. “By partnering with experts in the field of mental health and addictions we can ensure appropriate and effective services are provided to those who are in crisis. Gun violence and organized criminal activity is present in our community. A large portion of the grant funding announced today will help fund the implementation of the High Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), which is focused on combating gun and gang related violence, improving the safety of our community, and will allow us to work with teams from surrounding police services who are feeling the impacts of these crimes radiating from the City.”
“The Six Nations Police Service extends its sincere thanks and gratitude to the Solicitor General of Ontario for its allocation of funding for the Six Nations Guns & Gangs Initiative”, said Six Nations Police Service Chief Darren Montour. “This funding will aide to assist us in combating the drug problem that plagues Six Nations of the Grand River and surrounding communities. A special thank you goes out to Brantford-Brant MPP, Will Bouma. He has advocated on behalf of the Six Nations of the Grand River and today we stand here with funding dedicated specifically to help combat the violent crimes our communities face”.
The CSP Grant Program helps police services address priority issues identified in their communities such as expanding mental health supports, preventing crime in schools and combatting cyber-crime. It also addresses provincewide priorities such as:
- Gun and gang violence
- Sexual violence and harassment
- Human trafficking
- Mental health and addictions
- Hate-motivated crime.
