NLIS 10
March 30, 2006
(Justice)
(Health and Community Services)
(Executive Council)
The Right Choices: Safe
and Secure Communities
The Williams government is targeting
crime and supporting safe and secure communities throughout Newfoundland
and Labrador with new law and order investments, Tom Marshall, Minister
of Justice and Attorney General, announced today.
Budget 2006 dedicates $14.8 million to
strengthen public safety, sustain violence prevention initiatives,
improve access to the justice system, strengthen child protection
services and enhance court security.
"The people of this province have a right
to feel safe and secure in their communities and this government takes
the responsibility of protecting that right very seriously," said
Minister Marshall. "These law and order investments will significantly
improve police presence in our communities and equip both forces with
the right tools to properly enforce the law."
Greater Police Presence
Greater police presence in our communities will serve to impede emerging
criminal activity. Budget 2006 invests over $3.1 million to strengthen
police presence throughout the province. This includes:
$515,500 to hire four new RCMP
officers and related operational funding for positions in the Grand
Falls-Windsor, Trinity-Conception, Deer Lake and Nain regions;
$592,000 to create five RCMP regular
member positions and related operational funding, including three
highway patrol, with locations to be determined by the RCMP on a
priority basis, and two drug awareness officers;
$900,000 to fill nine vacant regular
member positions throughout the province. The locations will be
determined by the RCMP on a priority basis;
$970,000 for the creation of eight
new constable positions and related operating funding including drug
awareness officers in St. John�s, Corner Brook and Labrador West
with locations to be determined by the RNC; and,
$170,200 for one officer and
operational funding to support a new RNC dog unit for Corner Brook.
These investments build on the success of
the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary training program. The first 28
graduates (16 female, 12 male) have been hired and are currently
enforcing law in the province. There are currently 26 recruits enrolled
in the 2005-06 program and will be hired upon successful completion of
the program. Government anticipates another 30 to participate in the
program in 2006-07.
The Williams government will continue to
address financial and human resource deficiencies that have resulted
from a decade of cutbacks to both of the province's police forces. As
well, the recent Auditor General�s report highlighted the need for
improved administrative operations at the RNC which would enable more
uniformed officers to concentrate on core policing functions. As a
result, Budget 2006 provides approximately $6.9 million for the
operations of the RNC and RCMP, focused in the following areas:
$177,700 for five new
administrative/clerical positions in the RNC's Criminal
Investigation Division, Strategic Planning Division and Property
Room;
$166,100 to hire four new RNC
civilian dispatchers;
$3.4 million to assist the RNC
address significant pressures such as on-going salary and
operational deficits relative to more complex and time-consuming
investigations; one-time equipment purchases and mandatory training.
The funding also provides for a new Sexual Assault Nurses in
Emergency (SANE) program. This program will provide coordinated,
timely, comprehensive and compassionate care to victims of sexual
assault. The program will be administered with registered nurses who
have advanced education and training in forensic examination of
sexual assault victims;
$124,300 for two RCMP Operational
Communication Centre positions;
$60,200 for two RCMP public service
positions in Forteau and Mary's Harbour; and
$3 million for the RCMP to cover
significant operational pressures such as increases in fuel prices,
property rentals and maintenance, medical services and mandatory
training.
Court Security
To ensure users of the courts continue to feel safe, Budget 2006 builds
on last year�s successful expansion of court security to the West Coast,
allocating $219,500 for expansion of court security to Happy
Valley-Goose Bay, Wabush and Grand Falls-Windsor.
Child Protection
In response to the Minister�s Advisory Committee Report on the Child,
Youth and Family Services Act, the Williams government will add 55 new
positions over the next three years to support child, youth and family
services programs in the province. Budget 2006 includes $1.5 million to
begin this process. This builds on the investment in social work
positions that government has made over the last two years and includes
additional staff to support child, youth and family services programs.
This mix of staff is required to develop and support assessment, case
planning, treatment and residential services for children and youth.
Government will provide $259,000 in
Budget 2006 to enhance the Department of Health and Community Services�
capacity to develop and monitor provincial legislation, programs and
standards of practice for services to children, youth and families. This
investment will support a manager of child, youth and family services, a
coordinator to implement training for social workers and a program
consultant to focus on children and youth in care, as well as training
and evaluation initiatives.
Access to Justice
Justice Minister Tom Marshall has consistently said "the best justice
system in the world is useless if people cannot access it." The Legal
Aid Commission and the Aboriginal Law Project report have suggested a
lack of legal aid resources is impeding proper access to the justice
system, especially in Labrador. To make improvements to the legal aid
system government will invest an additional $1.1 million including the
$250,000 identified as part of government�s Poverty Reduction Strategy.
This increased funding will enable the commission to hire two lawyers
and one administrative support position in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, a
lawyer each in St. John�s and Clarenville and an
administrative support position in Stephenville.
The Aboriginal Law Project report also
identified inefficient translation services as a severe stumbling block
in Labrador justice services. Budget 2006 invests $37,600 to hire a
senior policy analyst for a period of six months to research and develop
a translation interpretation strategy and a cultural training strategy
for Labrador.
Violence Prevention
Government will strengthen its resolve to make a lasting impact on the
incidence of violence in communities with over $1.6 million to support
government's new six-year action plan on violence prevention � Taking
Action 2012, and transition homes for women.
A $1.25 million investment will begin the
implementation of Taking Action 2012, representing an annual
increase of $750,000. The action plan, which was developed from
consultations with community groups, focuses on early intervention and
prevention activities for women, children, seniors and others who are
most at risk of violence. The funding will be directed to the areas of
the plan including:
Early intervention activities for
high risk youth and families to develop healthy relationship skills;
Increased funding for organizations
including the Newfoundland and Labrador Sexual Assault Crisis and
Prevention Centre and the Transition House Association of
Newfoundland and Labrador;
Public awareness campaigns focusing
on elder abuse, violence against women, child abuse and prevention
services and supports for those facing violent situations;
Violence prevention training and
education to front-line service providers such as teachers, health
care professionals as well as police and others in the justice
system. Investments will also be made to expand the Safe and Caring
Schools program; and,
Increased support for work at the
community level including an increase for the annual budget of each
regional coordinating committee and the establishment of four
additional regional coordinating committees.
To further assist women and their
children leaving abusive relationships, government will provide $375,000
in Budget 2006 to support transition homes in Labrador City, Hopedale
and St. John�s. This funding will support a 24/7 operation of Hope
Haven, allow the Hopedale transition home to expand its operations to
180 days a year, up from the previous 60 days, and to enhance services
at Iris Kirby House. Transition houses provide temporary housing in a
safe, secure environment. Services include food and other necessities,
temporary shelter, support in getting financial, medical and legal
assistance, and counseling services.
"Violence in our communities is
unacceptable," said Joan Burke, Minister Responsible for the Status of
Women. "This investment will provide unprecedented resources to allow us
to take action and address the root causes of violence. The new action
plan will guide our work with community partners and enable us to have a
dramatic impact on violence against women and those most at risk." Women
continue to make up the majority of victims of violence. Ensuring that
services and supports exist for women leaving abusive situations remains
a focus of the government�s violence prevention program.
Media contact:
Billy Hickey, Justice, (709) 729-6985, 691-6390
Tansy Mundon, Health and Community Services, (709) 729-1377, 685-1741
Cathy Whelan, Women�s Policy Office, (709) 729-6225
2006 03 30
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