Law-enforcement agencies across Ontario will have another weapon in the fight against crime.
In his daily press briefing Monday at Queens Park, Premier Doug Ford announced that the province would invest $6 million over three years to expand the coverage of closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems.
Starting Monday, law-enforcement agencies across Ontario can begin applying for funding from the Ontario CCTV grant, to either create surveillance systems or enhance existing ones. Successful applications will have half of the total financing covered.
"In light of recent episodes of violence, it's absolutely critical that we give our police the tools and resources they need to keep people safe and ensure businesses and communities can recover from the impacts of COVID-19 without fear of crime," said Ford. "This investment will help keep our streets safe, bring violent criminals to justice, and ensure people can rebuild their lives in peace."
Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said the funding is vital to keeping criminal activity down in Ontario.
"Surveillance systems are an important part of our partnership with police services to combat gun and gang violence. We are confident this investment will help municipalities expand their CCTV capacity and ramp up the local fight against crime," said Jones. "Criminals are always finding new ways of covering their tracks, but our government is determined to ensure municipalities and police services have the tools and resources they need to detect criminal activity and keep Ontarians safe."
The province, in collaboration with the federal government, has already pledged $106 million to fight gun and gang violence.
