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Criminals' cash to help police and victims

By: Staff Writer

Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012 at 12:34 PM | Comments: 0

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES Enlarge Image

Justice Minister Andrew Swan

Police in Brandon and Rivers will benefit from new grants provided by the sale of property seized under the Criminal Property Forfeiture Act, Justice Minister Andrew Swan announced today.

"This law allows us to take money and assets from criminals and use it to enhance activities designed to assist police and victims of crime," Swan said at a media conference at the Brandon Police Service headquarters.

"As a result, offenders are helping to fund efforts to apprehend other criminals and counteract their impact on our communities."

This announcement adds to grants recently announced for the Winnipeg Police Service and for community agencies to deliver specialized services to support victims of crime and their families.

Today's grants include over $18,000 for:

• A fingerprint fuming chamber for the joint Brandon Police Service and RCMP identification unit to assist with the recovery of fingerprints and enhance their ability to solve crimes.

• Equipment and training for the Rivers Police Service to give officers more tools to respond to physical threats aimed at officers or other individuals.

These initiatives will be funded from a portion of the $3.1 million in assets that has been successfully forfeited to Manitoba through the use of the Criminal Property Forfeiture Act.

More forfeiture proceedings are in process, with 103 files being pursued involving numerous vehicles, houses, rural properties and cash.

The province invited police services to apply for funding to support initiatives that enhance the practices and training of law enforcement agencies, or reduce or prevent crime.

This year more than $780,000 in grants have been allocated.

Recent amendments to the Criminal Property Forfeiture Act allow money from the criminal property forfeiture fund to be used to support programs and services that benefit victims of crime.

Today's announcement in Brandon followed a similar one yesterday in Winnipeg for grants including $592,000 to support the Winnipeg Police Service.

» FOR THE FULL STORY, SEE FRIDAY'S BRANDON SUN

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