Province Announces Additional Policing
Communities across Nova Scotia received 70 additional police officers today, Jan. 25, as part of the province's commitment to help make neighbourhoods safer.
"These new positions will help us combat crime in those areas identified as high priority in our new strategy Time to Fight Crime Together," said Justice Minister Cecil Clarke who was at the Sydney chamber of commerce to update residents on the next phase of the strategy.
"If we are serious about cracking down on crime, we must put resources behind our words and this is a commitment to do that," said Mr. Clarke.
The positions will be available starting April 1 for RCMP and municipalities to recruit and fill. They are part of the Department of Justice's original plan to put 250 extra enforcement officers in place by 2010.
Clarke said the announcement will also honour government's previous commitment to put at least one police officer in all municipalities as part of the Boots to the Streets program.
"We have learned a great deal in the past two years about where we need to target our efforts and I am optimistic these positions will make a significant impact in our crack down on crime," said Mr. Clarke.
The two largest municipalities will receive the most resources in the latest allocation. Halifax will get 14 new positions; Cape Breton Regional Municipality will receive four.
Not all communities are affected equally by crime and violence so the allocations are targetted to help disadvantaged neighbourhoods where more enforcement is required.
The 52 other additions will be distributed around the province. The new officers will combat drugs, proceeds of crime, thefts, assaults and child pornography.
Nova Scotia will have two dedicated officers to focus on family violence. They will be a resource to all police agencies and, for the first time, one will be dedicated to First Nation's communities.
They will support education and awareness to increase victim confidence within the justice system.
Through recommendations from the Nunn Commission, government recognized that more resources were needed for families and youth, so some officers are being allocated to augment the School Resource Officer Program. Input was also received from a Minister's Task Force on Safer Streets and Communities, which heard from 800 Nova Scotians.