Winnipeg Police Superintendent Danny Smyth speaks at a press conference in Winnipeg Wednesday, November 12, 2014. (JOHN WOODS /THE CANADIAN PRESS)
The Winnipeg Police Service is receiving more than $611,000 from the province’s Criminal Property Forfeiture program to purchase equipment, bolster resources and train officers.
Chief Danny Smyth says the fund has been instrumental in many of the service’s operational and crime prevention efforts including victim services.
“Forfeiture funds result from confiscated property or proceeds of unlawful activity,” Smyth said. “Through the provincial government, the funds are allocated into programs, equipment and initiatives that support victims of crime, crime prevention in the community, and innovation and equipment in law enforcement agencies.”
The funding is being allocated as follows:
• $80,250 for the 911 public education campaign
• $31,823 for a cloud-based digital evidence management system
• $257,751 for a public-safety robot platform to reduce/eliminate human jeopardy
• $5,496 for training financial crime investigators
• $69,132 for equipment for first responders
• $11,688 electronic equipment for the Internet Child Exploitation Unit
• $11,207 for equipment for the Technical Surveillance Unit
• $36,040 to implement certified-liaison training developed by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police
• $55,000 for Canadian Police College training
• $13,607 for equipment for the Virtual Police Response Unit
• $5,845 for video equipment
• $33,595 for the SNAP KIDTHINK program to assist youth in the community
Since the program’s inception in 2009, the funding has distributed more than $19 million back to the communities throughout the province.
