Justice June 12, 2007 Government Takes Action for Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods The Provincial Government has taken action to help curb targeted activities in neighbourhoods and communities. The Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Justice, said today the Provincial Government�s initiative to bring forward the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act is to keep the province�s neighbourhoods safe, allowing them to continue to be the cornerstone of communities. "This act allows our government to give residents a way to register complaints and to put an end to illegal activities that adversely affect or harm a neighbourhood," said the minister. "Our law enforcement agencies are seeing an increase in drug and prostitution-related criminal activity and our government is providing the legislation necessary to ensure residents feel safe within our neighbourhoods and communities." Passed during this sitting of the House of Assembly, the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act uses civil law to promote peaceful communities and neighbourhoods to increase public safety. The legislation, developed in consultation with law enforcement agencies and other stakeholder groups, is designed to improve community safety by targeting and, if necessary, shutting down residential and commercial buildings and land which are habitually used for illegal activities such as producing, selling or using illegal drugs, as well as prostitution, solvent abuse or the unlawful sale and consumption of alcohol. Budget 2007 provided $237,000 for an investigation unit within the Department of Justice that will be in place as early as this fall. "These resources will be in addition to the existing resources used by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for the services they provide," said Minister Osborne. "This program will be monitored and it is our intention to increase the program in the coming years." The new act is modeled on similar legislation currently in place in the Province of Manitoba, and targets activities and not individuals. Since this legislation was proclaimed in Manitoba in 2006, nearly 200 drug, prostitution, and solvent abuse operations involving 193 complaints have been closed by the Public Safety Investigations Unit and $2 million in drugs were seized. "This legislation will provide our police forces the support they need to begin the battle against these types of crimes, and as a government, we will work with them as they put residents first and continue to focus on public safety issues in Newfoundland and Labrador," said the minister. -30- BACKGROUNDER Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act
Media contact: 2007 06 12 2:45 p.m.
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