Parliamentary Committee Notes: Government Measures to Reduce Gang Violence
Date: 11 May 2022
Classification: Unclassified
Fully releasable (ATIP)? Yes
Branch / Agency: CPB/Public Safety
Proposed Response:
- The federal government is deeply troubled by the recent gun and gang violence in Canadian communities. The Government is taking the necessary steps to strengthen community safety, as well as providing support to prevent and address crime in communities and populations most at-risk.
- Reducing gang activity and violence on our streets and in our communities must focus on addressing the social conditions that can lead to criminality. We will continue to create conditions for safer communities by building on past and present investments.
- Since 2018, we have allocated $358.8 million over five years for the Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence (ITAAGGV) to support communities, enhance enforcement capacity, and provide federal leadership to reduce gun and gang violence across Canada.
- The majority of funds are allocated to provinces and territories under the Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund (GGVAF) - over $214 million to combat gun and gang violence in communities across Canada. To date, a total of $141 million has been disbursed under GGVAF to Provinces and Territories.
- In addition, $32.1 million, under the ITAAGGV, is allocated to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and $92.8 million to the Canada Border Services Agency to support law enforcement efforts to combat gun and gang violence.
- Officials are hard at work on possible program renewal for ITAAGGV.
- The government is also providing $250 million to municipalities and Indigenous communities through the Building Safer Communities Fund. It is a targeted, evidence-based approach that will help build safer communities by strengthening local efforts to counter the social conditions that lead to criminal behavior.
- This initiative will aim to positively engage young people with their families, their schools, and their communities to prevent gang involvement. Intervention programs will aim to help young adults, adults, and families who are impacted by gang involvement.
Financial Implications:
- The 2022-23 Main Estimates includes vote appropriations of $101.4M to support ITAAGGV. This includes:
- $1.6M for Public Safety under the enhancing federal leadership theme to support stakeholder outreach and engagement activities;
- $74.4M for Public Safety Canada to deliver on GGVAF as part of the Investing in Communities theme;
- $2M for Youth Gang Prevention Fund Top-Up; and
- $16.7M for the CBSA and $6.7M for the RCMP under the enhancing federal enforcement capacity theme to augment investigations capacity and stemming the flow of illicit firearms and inadmissible travellers.
- The 2022-23 Main Estimates includes vote appropriations of $60.8M for Public Safety to support delivery of the BSCF.
Background:
Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence
Since 2018, $358.8 million over five years has been allocated for theITAAGGV, with an anticipated $100 million ongoing subject to approval. The majority of funds (over $214 million) are allocated to provinces and territories (P/T) under the Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund (GGVAF) to combat gun and gang violence in communities across Canada. Partners are currently using funds to:
- Develop and deliver gun and gang violence prevention and intervention initiatives;
- Enhance law enforcement and prosecution capacity to address gun and gang violence;
- Support data gathering/reporting, and research, knowledge development and information around gun and gang violence;
- Provide training for enforcement, prevention or other professionals; and,
- Support the development/refinement of strategies on gun and gang violence and the measurement of results of initiatives.
All P/Ts have signed multi-year funding agreements under the GGVAF.
The Government also provided $125 million to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canada Border Services Agency to enhance firearms investigations and strengthen controls at the border to prevent illegal firearms from entering the country.
Building Safer Communities Fund
In the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, the federal government announced $250 million in funding for municipalities and Indigenous communities to implement prevention and intervention programs. The $250 million initiative was approved in June 2021, and the Minister announced the program, the Building Safer Communities Fund, on March 16, 2022.
Recipients have been identified based on an evidence-based methodology based on two major elements: crime severity (using three indicators: firearms homicide data, mean firearms incidence, and mean organized crime data), and population data to determine a per year funding allocation.
Contacts:
Prepared by: Raymond Farrier, Policy Advisor, Policy and Program Development Initiatives, Crime Prevention Branch, 343-572-8143 Approved by: Talal Dakalbab, Assistant Deputy Minister, Crime Prevention Branch, 613-852-1167
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