Egland scores Teddy Bear Toss goal but Pats lose in OT
8h ago
Over 3,000 stuffed animals were tossed onto the ice.
The federal government is putting up $328 million to fight gangs and guns across Canada, with nearly $12 million coming to Saskatchewan.
Ralph Goodale, the federal minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, along with Christine Tell, the provincial Minister of Corrections and Policing, announced Monday that the federal government is providing the province with $11.9 million in funding for projects that will deal with the issue.
The money will be doled out over the next five years.
Goodale said the federal government has been hearing about the need for support in this area. He explained crime has been trending down for the past couple decades, but in the past five years, crimes involving guns and gangs have gone the other way.
“Today’s announcement demonstrates the seriousness of guns and gangs in our neighbourhoods,” Goodale said in a media release.
“By striking at the root of the guns-and-gangs problem in our communities, and stopping our most vulnerable youth from joining gangs in the first place, we are taking the right steps to make our communities safer.”
Goodale said the money provided to jurisdictions across the country will be spread among different organizations. Among them: Border services to stop illegal guns from crossing the border; the RCMP to improve its resources to tackle the issue; and, the Ministry of Public Safety to improve data collection and analysis.
Goodale also said $8 million will help bolster the youth gang prevention fund. He added that four announcements from that fund will be made in Saskatchewan in the near future.
Tell outlined the “pillars” the province will put the money toward: Gang outreach and prevention programs, expansion of the dedicated substance abuse and treatment units in jails, expanding data collection and analysis, and co-ordinating and enhancing policing efforts.
“Ultimately, what we want to see, is our province be more safe. Reducing the levels of crime in the province of Saskatchewan would be a step in the right direction, and I’m sure most people feel that way,” said Tell.