Local MPs in Halton gathered today at Oakville’s Sixteen Mile Sports Complex to share their plans to prevent gun and gang violence in the region. Also in attendance were members of the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS), including the police chief.
Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety, announced that the Canadian government would be shelling out $4M to tackle gun violence in Halton Region.
The aim is to stop violence before it starts.
The $4M funding, which is part of the Canadian government's $250M Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF), will help address the underlying conditions that give rise to crime. The focus will be on guiding at-risk youth toward a path to success in life through community-led projects.
“One life taken away by gun violence is too many,” proclaimed Anita Anand, Oakville MP and Minister of National Defence.
Mendicino agreed and believes investments, like today’s, “are essential to addressing the social conditions that lead youth and young adults to get involved in a life of crime.”
Although plans are still vague, Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr shared more about what’s in the works. “Through our Community Safety and Well-Being Plan, we will be setting up an Action Table with community partners to develop a multi-year strategy and identify areas of greatest need at the local level,” he said.