Canada announces funding for youth gang prevention and Indigenous policing

Federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree and Manitoba provincial officials have announced significant investments aimed at community safety and Indigenous-led policing.

Through the Youth Gang Prevention Fund, $1.6 million has been allocated to the Joy Smith Foundation for the ‘Limitless Futures: Empowering Youth Against Crime’ project. This initiative targets at-risk and incarcerated youth aged 12 to 30 in Manitoba and Alberta, providing trauma-informed workshops in detention centres, group homes, and community settings to prevent gang involvement and violence.

Additionally, ministers highlighted $163.5 million in existing funding commitments to support Indigenous policing in Manitoba. This includes $121 million for the Manitoba First Nations Police Service from 2023 to 2027 and $42.5 million to expand the Manitoba First Nation Safety Officer Program through 2028. The expansion aims to bring the safety officer program to all 63 First Nations in Manitoba, providing improved training, equipment, and resources to complement the RCMP.