The Chatham-Kent Police Service has received a funding boost, after the Ontario government announced they are investing more than $267 million over three years to provide police services across the province with significant new resources to safeguard their local communities.
Provincial officials say 90 police service boards are receiving funding through the Community Safety and Policing 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, Provincial officials added.
“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, in a media release.
“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.”
Here are the details about the funding allocated to the Chatham-Kent Police Service:
– Project R.I.S.E. (Relationships, Inclusivity, Support, Education), $192,424 through the Victim Support Grant: R.I.S.E. is a multi-faceted approach to enhance community initiatives, including four areas of development. First, the police service will enhance human trafficking investigations through new equipment and software. Second, it will develop partnerships with community organizations to meet victims’ needs. Next, it will provide additional training for frontline officers, specialty unit officers, and civilian members. Lastly, the funding will help establish a culturally friendly environment to give victims, witnesses, and their families or support systems a private, safe, and comfortable place to participate in spiritual or cultural healing customs, such as smudging for Indigenous communities.
– Project SAFE, $195,476 through the Provincial priorities funding projects: In partnership with Chatham-Kent Victim Services and other key local and provincial community partners, Chatham-Kent Police Service will develop, launch and implement a comprehensive four-pillar strategy to address sexual violence and harassment within the community. The strategy will focus on providing training to frontline supervisors to ensure they have the skills needed to handle cases in the early stages of investigation as well as building community awareness about human trafficking by engaging the public through social media and partnering with schools. Funding will also help enhance supports provided to victims and survivors as well as upgrade the service’s equipment to increase its capacity to collect, secure and present the best possible evidence in court.
– Project Achieve, $533,840 through provincial priorities funding: Through this grant, Chatham-Kent Police Service (CKPS) will fund Project ACHIEVE to directly address community safety priorities such as mental health and addiction issues. Project ACHIEVE will expand CKPS’ specialized training program for officers and deliver programming that provides mental health information and support to officer’s family members. Officers will also be trained in cultural competencies to be better equipped to recognize, understand and support victims of hate crime. Specific equipment will be purchased to extract data from mobile devices for investigation.
– Community Mobilization Section, $2,079,731 through local priorities funding: Funding will be used to expand capacity and support the work of Chatham-Kent Police Service’s Community Mobilization Section, a program that promotes a holistic approach to community safety. Recognizing that crime, poverty, physical and mental health, addictions and isolation are viewed as contributing factors to safety, the team works with multiple community agencies in addressing social issues in the community.
Provincial officials say this investment will be allocated over a three-year period: 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 to recipients and projects listed here.
The maximum funding for any one initiative under the Provincial Priorities Funding Stream is $1.5 million over three years.
Under the Local Priorities Funding Stream, each eligible police services board had a pre-determined allocation that they could apply for.
Police services will be required to report twice a year on the financial activities and outcomes of their initiatives.
