Ontario is spending more than $200,360 to help the Guelph Police Service, Canadian Mental Health Association – Waterloo Wellington Dufferin (CMHA-WWD) and Victim Services Wellington work with local partners to build a safer, stronger community in Guelph and Wellington County.
Funding from the Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services’ Proceeds of Crime Front Line Policing Grant (POC-FLP) and the Safer and Vital Communities Grant will help set up the following programs:
– Community Response to Human Trafficking with the Guelph Police Service for $63,900. The goal of this project is to eliminate and prevent human trafficking and to assist victims of human trafficking in Guelph. Activities include training for community stakeholders and police, and conducting undercover operations to identify and support victims of human trafficking and to identify offenders;
– Gatekeeper Project with CMHA-WWD for $69,913. An education/awareness campaign that focuses on community service personnel who have regular contact with vulnerable elderly adults and/or those at risk of elder abuse or neglect; and
– Human Trafficking Support Worker with Victim Services Wellington for $66,500. A human trafficking support worker will work with the Guelph Police Service and OPP Wellington to provide crisis support for victims of human trafficking, including comprehensive case management and assistance in navigating the agencies/systems in place to support them.
These are three of 52 community projects funded under the SVC Grant that will help enhance safety and well-being across the province.
“Our government recognizes that a collaborative approach to community safety and well-being works, and the 52 projects funded support our efforts,” said David Orazietti, minister of community safety and correctional services.
“By working together, police, service providers and community groups are better able to meet the needs of our communities and ensure that individuals at risk are able to access the services they need.
“These grants help make that possible and help us to build safer, stronger communities across the province.”
The two grants will provide a total of nearly $4 million in funding across Ontario to support community groups and police in working together to develop community safety plans and prevent crime.
This year’s grants are based on the theme: Creating a Safer Ontario through Community Collaboration, and provides funding to police services, community-based organizations, First Nations Chiefs and band councils for projects that address community safety.
