For Immediate Release
Queen's Park office
August 12, 2005

MCGUINTY GOVERNMENT STARTS PROGRAM TO HIRE 1,000 OFFICERS

TORONTO- Mario Sergio, M.P.P. for York West today welcomed the McGuinty government's announcement that it is delivering on its promise to build safe, strong communities by inviting municipal police services to submit proposals for the Safer Communities - 1,000 Officers Partnership Program.

"I encourage our local municipalities to take advantage of this program," Mario Sergio said. "Nothing is more important than the safety and well being of the people in our vibrant community of York West. It is imperative that we work together to secure the safety of the most vulnerable in our community. Additional officers in community policing will certainly help open the channels of communication within our neighbourhood."

In announcing that the Safer Communities - 1,000 Officer Partnership Program is moving ahead, Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Monte Kwinter said, "We are delivering on our promise to invest in 1,000 net new police officers and make a real improvement to community safety."

The Safer Communities - 1,000 Officers Partnership Program will:

• Allocate 500 officers to six priority areas identified by the government in its fight against crime in Ontario: guns and gangs; youth crime; organized crime, especially marijuana grow operations; dangerous offenders; domestic violence; and protecting children from Internet luring and child pornography
• Allocate 500 officers to community policing, which includes duties such as patrolling neighbourhoods, visiting schools and other youth venues, and enhancing traffic enforcement
• Provide northern and First Nations communities with up to 60 net new officers, funded to a cap of $70,000 per officer per year
• Provide other municipal police services, including those provided by the Ontario Provincial Police under municipal contract, with up to 940 net new officers, funded to a cap of $35,000 per officer per year
• Allocate 500 officers to community policing, which includes duties such as patrolling neighbourhoods, visiting schools and other youth venues, and enhancing traffic enforcement
• Allow police to include up to 400 officers hired since October 23, 2003, the start of the government's mandate, in their applications.
• Increase program funding from the $35 million announced on May 18, 2005 to an annual commitment of $37.1 million.

"Police services are facing new and serious challenges in their efforts to make our communities safe. Organized crime, increasingly sophisticated drug operations, youth crime, domestic violence, internet luring, violence against children and vulnerable adults and the threat of terrorism are the types of crimes that our officers must deal with everyday," said Chief Armand La Barge, President of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police. "The Safer Community - 1,000 Officer Partnership Program represents an important step forward for police services across Ontario by providing them with the tools they need to meet the challenges of policing in today's complex world."

Police services will receive application information next week and will have until September 30, 2005 to apply for allocations under the program. The ministry will review all applications and advise municipalities of their allocations by the end of November.

Contact the Queen's Park office of Mario Sergio for more information.