At a Police Officers Recruitment Fund Announcement in Nova Scotia

Remarks by the
Honourable Stockwell Day
Minister of Public Safety

Halifax, Nova Scotia
March 18, 2008
As Delivered

Thank you.  Minister [Cecil P. Clarke, Nova Scotia Minister of Justice], ladies and gentlemen, it’s good to see everybody this morning.  I always enjoy visiting Halifax; I have been consistently impressed by the initiatives taken by the provincial government here over the last two years since I became Minister of Public Safety. Both the provincial and municipal levels routinely demonstrate innovative approaches to dealing with crime and safety.

It is our belief that the first responsibility of any level of government is the safety and security of its citizens.  Consequently, we have taken a number of steps to help ensure that our citizens from coast to coast to coast feel safe and secure.

In order to meet our mandate, we are taking a two-sided approach.  We talk about the importance of the long arm of the law, but we also talk about the open arms of the community. I have been impressed at the various times I have been here to see local groups working with police agencies to reach out to individuals at risk. In coordination with our National Crime Prevention Centre, these groups implement programs that help vulnerable families and young people at risk, and help steer youth away from gangs and criminal activity. 

As part of our efforts, we have also launched a very aggressive National Anti-Drug Strategy that reinforces education, awareness and treatment as well as enforcement.  We understand that there’s a direct corollary between having more officers available on the street and seeing a reduction in crime. That’s why it’s been a campaign commitment of ours to see a thousand more RCMP officers at the federal level across the country.

We have also stated that we want to assist provinces and municipalities across the country with hiring up to 2,500 more municipal officers. We’ve set aside in this year’s budget a $400 million fund, which is available to provinces across the country on a per capita basis to assist them in their efforts.  I’m pleased to announce that $11.2 million is being allotted to Nova Scotia to help with recruiting efforts.

We are aware that the strong economy in Canada right now offers a wide variety of choices to individuals as they determine their career paths. That’s why there’s a joint partnership between the province and the federal level to assist provinces to be as aggressive as they can be in working with the municipalities to see more officers on the street.

Looking at the province’s various programs that my colleague, the Minister, has highlighted, I am confident that we share the same goals for crime prevention and the security of your citizens.

As I have stated, we are contributing a significant amount towards the funding side.  However, we are also working on the legislative component, having successfully passed a bill concerning, among other things, mandatory jail time for repeat offenders.. We’ve taken these steps with the understanding that Canadians expect and deserve safe communities.

I’m very pleased to make this announcement with you today, Minister, and I’m very optimistic about the initiatives that you have taken to improve the safety of the streets and communities in this wonderful province.  I’m glad to be here with you today.  Thank you.