HALIFAX, July 21, 2005 -- Geoff Regan, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and federal Regional Minister for Nova Scotia, on behalf of the Honourable Anne McLellan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and the Honourable Barry Barnet, Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations on behalf of Minister of Justice Michael Baker today announced more than $1.6 million in support of 44 community-led initiatives. Funding was awarded under the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS).
“These initiatives are great examples of how citizens and local organizations are working together to improve their communities,” said Minister Regan. “I am impressed with the way Nova Scotians are combining creativity, commitment and good research to tackle tough social problems like crime and victimization.”
“Addressing challenges at the community level is key to decreasing criminal activity in Nova Scotia,” said Minister Barnet. “These initiatives, funded through the National Crime Prevention Strategy help us move towards a brighter, more prosperous future for our province.”
As part of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, the NCPS works in partnership with volunteers, academics, governments, community organizations and others to develop, implement and evaluate methods which help to prevent crime from happening in the first place. The NCPS helps communities demonstrate the benefits in enhanced personal and public safety that can be achieved by investing in approaches that deal with the underlying causes of crime and victimization - such as family distress, bullying, gang recruitment or substance abuse.
The funding announced today is in addition to the more than $300,000 invested in projects in Nova Scotia that had been initiated in 2004 and that have since completed their activities. Since its launch in June, 1998, the NCPS has worked with its many partners to support more than 5000 projects nationwide.
In February 2005, the Government of Canada announced an additional $90 million over three years to renew the Strategy as a key measure to protect Canadians from crime and victimization.
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See Also:
The National Crime Prevention Strategy at Work in Nova Scotia
National Crime Prevention Strategy
For Further Information:
Alex Swann
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
(613) 991-2863
Media Relations
Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada
(613) 991-0657
Sujata Raisinghani
Press Secretary, Office of Minister Regan
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
(613) 992-3474
Carla Grant
Nova Scotia Department of Justice
(902) 424-6282
Cell: 902-478-1683
