ARCHIVED - Harper Government launches next phase of Youth Gang Prevention Program
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Harper Government program helps at-risk youth stay away from crime
Winnipeg – February 21, 2012 – Shelly Glover, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Saint-Boniface (Winnipeg), on behalf of the Honourable Vic Toews, Canada's Minister of Public Safety, today announced that the Youth Gang Prevention Fund is ready to receive applications for its next funding intake.
"We are fulfilling our Government's commitment to building strong, safer communities by investing in community-based projects that help those who are most at risk of offending," said MP Glover. "This program will continue to provide youth in gangs, or those at risk of joining gangs, with life skills to help them make smart choices and stay away from gangs and crime."
The deadline for applications is April 9, 2012.
The objectives of the Youth Gang Prevention Fund are to:
- support proven and promising crime prevention initiatives that address youth violence and youth gangs in communities where these issues exist or are emerging trends;
- promote targeted interventions such as mentoring, counselling, skills development and recreational opportunities, to provide young people with alternatives to joining gangs; and
- develop and disseminate knowledge to encourage other communities to prevent youth violence and youth gang activity in Canada.
The Government of Canada's 2011 Budget, the Next Phase of Canada's Economic Action Plan, included a number of initiatives to help ensure that all Canadians can feel safe in their own communities, including $7.5 million annually in funding to support Public Safety Canada's Youth Gang Prevention Fund. Other crime prevention initiatives funded by the federal government include the Crime Prevention Action Fund and the Northern and Aboriginal Crime Prevention Fund. These initiatives help youth make smart choices by providing them with community-based educational, cultural, sporting and vocational opportunities so they can achieve positive outcomes in life.
In 2011 alone, the Government funded 138 community-based crime prevention programs through the National Crime Prevention Strategy, in which nearly 16,000 at-risk youth participated.
About the National Crime Prevention Strategy:
The National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS) is administered by Public Safety Canada's National Crime Prevention Centre (NCPC). The Centre provides funding support to selected projects that help prevent crime and increase knowledge about what works in crime prevention. It is a part of the Government of Canada's plan to tackle crime in order to build stronger, safer communities. The NCPS's priorities are:
- addressing early risk factors among vulnerable children, youth, and young adults;
- preventing recidivism among high-risk offenders;
- fostering crime prevention in Aboriginal and Northern communities;
- preventing youth gang and drug-related crime; and
- funding security enhancements to help reduce incidents of hate-motivated crime.
For more information about the Youth Gang Prevention Fund and to find out how to apply, please visit http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/cntrng-crm/crm-prvntn/fndng-prgrms/yth-gng-prvntn-fnd-eng.aspx
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Information:
Media Relations
Public Safety Canada
613-991-0657
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