London, Ontario: Marco Mendicino, Federal Minister of Public Safety, has announced that the City of London will receive up to $3.09 million from the Building Safer Communities Fund to prevent gun crime and gang violence in the city.
This funding will help address the underlying conditions that give rise to crime. It will support community-led projects to prevent violence among young people who are involved in gangs, or at risk of joining them – helping them set themselves up for success in life.
No single program or initiative can tackle the challenge of gun crime on its own. That is why the BSCF is one of many elements in the Canadian government’s plan to keep Canadians safe.
An official statement said: “Our work begins at Canada’s borders, where we’ve added resources to fight smuggling and stop guns from coming into the country. The government banned assault-style firearms like the AR-15 two years ago and will soon begin a buyback program to get these weapons of war off of our streets. Finally, we recently introduced Bill C-21. This landmark legislation implemented a national freeze on handguns last October and includes significant provisions to combat organized crime and address the alarming role of guns in domestic violence.”
Minister Mendicino said: “My number one priority as Minister of Public Safety is keeping Canadians safe. Investments in grassroots efforts in London are essential to addressing the social conditions that lead youth and young adults to get involved in a life of crime. Put simply, we must stop gun and gang violence before it starts.”
Josh Morgan, Mayor of London, said: “This is a welcomed investment in support of proactive crime reduction and public safety. Like many cities across Canada, London has experienced a steady rise in violent crime in recent years, and we are grateful to the Federal Government for demonstrating an ongoing commitment in support of safer communities. These funds will help us steer young people away from a life of crime and violence.”
Arielle Kayabaga, Member of Parliament for London West, said: “Feeling safe in your community is something that everyone should be afforded. Gun violence is of great concern, and we must do whatever we can to stop it before more lives are lost. With today’s Building Safer Communities Fund announcement, our government is working to help young people at risk of becoming involved in crime”
Peter Fragiskatos, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue and Member of Parliament for London North Centre, said: “This is an important announcement that recognizes the value of proactive approaches in stemming the rise of violence in our communities. Youth in London and across the country stand to benefit and we owe it to them to do all we can to ensure their future is filled with meaningful opportunities.”
• London will develop a multi-year strategy to identify and address the underlying factors that lead to youth gun and gang violence through data analysis, needs assessments, and consultations with community partners.
• The amount of BSCF support for a community is based on two major elements: crime severity (homicide by firearm, incidents of firearms offences, organized crime/street gang-involved crime) and population density.
• The BSCF builds on the success of the Initiative To Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence. This includes the Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund – a five year $358.8 million investment announced in 2018 – that brings together federal, provincial and territorial supports to tackle gun-related violence and gang activity in Canada