Funding Announcement for a Crime Prevention Project In Montreal

Remarks by
The Honourable Stockwell Day
Minister of Public Safety

January 17, 2007
Montreal, Quebec
As delivered

Good afternoon. Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for the interest you have shown for this important issue. I would like to thank everyone who is here for this announcement today.

I also wish to especially thank Yvon Delorme, Director of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal, Normand Proulx, Director General of the Sûreté du Québec, Claude Dauphin, Vice-President of the Comité exécutif de la Ville de Montréal and Paul Girard, Acting Deputy Minister of the Affaires policières at the ministère de la Sécurité publique du Québec. I also wish to thank Valérie Sagant, Director General of the International Crime Prevention Centre.

Last time I was in Montreal, I had the opportunity to announce $10 million in funding for crime prevention initiatives in Quebec. These initiatives aim to help at-risk youth make the right choices and avoid committing crimes or getting involved with gangs.

I am proud to be here again today to speak to you about a project that shares that same goal, this time on a much larger scale. That is to say, a project with an international scope.

Canadians are becoming more preoccupied with crime. That's why our government has made tackling crime one of its five priorities. To keep our commitment to Canadians, we are taking a balanced approach.

That means we are focussing on fighting crime and on crime prevention. We, therefore, invested important amounts to bolster the number of police officers on our streets to uphold our laws. We also strengthened border security.

However, we are well-aware that fighting crime does not only involve crime control. We must also work with communities to prevent crime, especially among at-risk youth.

Last week, I announced that our government would invest more than $16 million in a special fund dedicated to help at-risk youth make good choices, stay out of gangs, or if they are already in a gang, get out and stay out.

Our government also recognizes that one of the best ways to prevent crime is to study the phenomenon and share our expertise. That's why I'm announcing today that the federal government is investing more than $400,000 in the International Crime Prevention Centre, based here in Montreal.

Our government is proud to take part in this international crime prevention effort to make Canadian communities, and those around the world, safer. This financial aid will allow the Centre to continue its research on the most effective ways to prevent crime and fight gang activity.

On a closing note, I want to emphasize the important role we must all play to help prevent crime. Whether it's the federal government, the provinces, municipalities, foreign governments, police forces, community organizations, research centres or others, we all have specific expertise.

Centres such as the International Crime Prevention Centre enable us to bring together all these important players, gather knowledge and share our expertise to the benefit of the greatest number of people.

I congratulate you on the excellent work you are doing. I wish you all the best as you pursue your activities. Keep in mind that together, we can help make our communities safer.