ARCHIVED - Public Safety Minister Toews announces support for crime prevention in New Brunswick

Programs offer at-risk youth life skills to make smart choices

MONCTON, February 23, 2011 — Today, the Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, announced more than $1.7 million in support for two crime prevention projects that will help at-risk youth in New Brunswick avoid criminal activities.  The two projects are being funded through the National Crime Prevention Strategy's (NCPS) Crime Prevention Action Fund.

"This government is once again demonstrating its commitment to preventing crime and building safer communities for families in New Brunswick," said Minister Toews. "In order to prevent and reduce crime, we must invest programs that provide at-risk youth the life skills they need to make smart choices and avoid illegal activities."

Our Government is providing $691,000 to the YMCA of Greater Moncton to implement the YMCAs of Québec's Alternative Suspension – Développement national project. This project is part of a Canada-wide initiative intended to successfully re-integrate suspended and/or temporarily expelled students back into the classroom and address other behavioural difficulties, such as drug abuse, and negative influences such as poor parental supervision, that place these youth at risk.

The Government of Canada is also providing $1,047,084 to the Centre de Bénévolat de la Péninsule Acadienne (CBPA) Inc. to implement the Youth Inclusion Program in Caraquet. The program seeks to reduce youth delinquency, particularly in regard to frequency of arrests, recidivism, and involvement in the judicial system.

"New Brunswick is very pleased with this investment by the federal government," said New Brunswick Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Robert Trevors. "These projects are consistent with our own crime prevention strategy of using effective, evidence-based methods to prevent and reduce crime. We look forward to continuing to work with the federal government to attack the root causes of crime to prevent and reduce it."

The Government of Canada has increased investments in crime prevention by 46% from $19.89 million in 2008/09 to $29.1 million in 2009/10, and has already committed almost $40 million in the current fiscal year for approved projects across the country.

The NCPS is administered by the National Crime Prevention Centre within Public Safety Canada. The strategy provides funding support to selected projects that help prevent crime and increase knowledge about effective crime prevention measures.

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; and
• preventing youth gang and drug-related crime.

Information:

Media Relations
Public Safety Canada
613-991-0657

Date modified:

2015-12-02