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Safer Communities
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Police
- Since 1999, we have tripled the number of Winnipeg police officers funded by the province from 40 to 120.
- According to the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, in 2009 Winnipeg was tied with Montreal for the highest proportion
of police officers in Canada’s ten largest cities. Manitoba had the second highest proportion of police officers among the
provinces.
- Our tough action on auto theft is working: Auto theft is at its lowest point in 17 years, declining by nearly 80% since
2004.
- Manitoba has established a number of national precedents to combat organized crime. For example, over 420 crack houses/drug
dens/sniff & prostitution houses have been shutdown thanks to our Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act.
- Mothers Against Drunk Driving has consistently recognized Manitoba as a leader in Canada in provincial impaired driving
laws. In 2009 MADD awarded Manitoba our second straight “A-” ranking; Manitoba is the first province in Canada to receive two
straight A grades from MADD.
Youth Crime
- At federal/provincial meetings in 2006 and 2007, we urged the federal government to amend the Youth Criminal Justice Act to
recognize deterrence as a valid sentencing principle for young offenders and to change the YCJA’s bail and sentencing
provisions to make it less difficult to keep car thieves and serious and repeat youth offenders in custody.
- We led an all-party mission to Ottawa in 2007 to continue to call for tougher consequences for youth who steal cars and
other serious and repeat offenders. The federal government has not yet implemented the amendments to the YCJA that we
recommended.
Prevention
- Budget 2009 provided funding for 5 additional Lighthouses for a total of 60. Lighthouses provide youth with a safe, fun
place to go at night.
- Introduced in 2003, our Police in Schools initiative has expanded and now includes eight School Resource Officers (SRO) in
62 schools. An evaluation of the North End SRO Program showed a 40 per cent reduction in school suspensions from 2004/05 to
2006/07; incidents of graffiti, loitering, vandalism, bullying and violent acts have dropped dramatically.
- Spotlight, which we introduced in 2006, works with young people at the highest risk of becoming involved in gangs,
providing supervision and services to help them deal with substance abuse, stay in school or find a job.
- We have hired seven recreation directors to expand recreation opportunities for youth in the inner city and other
Neighbourhoods Alive communities.
- Our Turnabout Program provides supports to families with children who are in conflict with the law but are too young for
measures specified in the federalYouth Criminal Justice Act.
Figures current as of March, 2010
Adobe Acrobat version.
