Minister Day announces $500,000 to support the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime

MONTRÉAL, October 3, 2007 — Today, the Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety, and the Honourable Michael M Fortier, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister Responsible for the Region of Montréal, as well as Guy Ouellette, Parliamentary Assistant to the Quebec Minister of Public Security, on behalf of the Honourable Jacques P. Dupuis, Quebec Minister of Justice and Minister of Public Security, announced $500,000 in funding to support the Montréal-based International Centre for the Prevention of Crime (ICPC).

"Canada's New Government is committed ensuring Canada's streets are safe, and we are proud to support crime prevention initiatives that will help police and communities here in Canada and around the world," said Minister Day. "With this investment, Montreal's International Centre for the Prevention of Crime will be able to further build on their expertise in the fields of youth gangs, crime prevention in Aboriginal communities, and the role of police in crime prevention."

"Montréal has international expertise in fighting crime, and this financial assistance will strengthen the city's position as leader in that field," said Minister Fortier. Our government is determined to tackle crime, and this financial aid will support this commitment."

"The International Crime Prevention Centre is an organization that contributes to promoting Montréal and Quebec on the international stage in the fight against crime, more specifically as it relates to research of best practices in the area of prevention. Quebec has focused a great deal on the preventative approach and the reinforcement of that culture. That is why the Government of Quebec is proud to be associated with this announcement that aims to support the actions of the Centre," stated Mr. Ouellette.

"Like all metropolitan cities, the City of Montreal invests in ways to keep crime at its lowest and research is one of our key tools. The funding given to the ICPC supports us in our efforts," commented Mr. Claude Dauphin, Vice-President of the Executive Committee for the City of Montreal, responsible for public safety.

"The relationships that have been built over the course of many years between the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal and the ICPC demonstrate how important this organization is for the development of best practices," stated Yvan Delorme, Director of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal. "In Montréal, the ‘research' aspect is considered one of the four axes of our strategy to fight crime, along with prevention, communication and deterrence."

The ICPC is an international nongovernmental organization affiliated with the United Nations Program Network Institutes of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. Its mission is to assist cities and countries to reduce crime through effective and efficient preventative measures.

For further information:

Media Relations
Public Safety Canada
613-991-0657

Mélisa Leclerc
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Stockwell Day
Minister of Public Safety
613-991-2863

Philippe Archambault
Press secretary
Office of the Honourable Jacques P. Dupuis
Minister of Justice and Minister of Public Security of Quebec
418-643-2112