Windsor’s top cop hopes to see new federal funding flow to the border city.
Federal Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Ralph Goodale and Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction Bill Blair announced an investment of $86 million to help the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canada Border Services Agency combat gun and gang violence.
$51.5 million will go to enhance border security. The CBSA will receive that funding over a five-year period to help prevent firearms from coming into the country illegally.
Officials say the initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence is focused on smart solutions to make Canadian communities safer.
“Tackling illegal trafficking of firearms is an important first step in eradicating gun and gang violence,” says Blair. “Our frontline law enforcement officers in the CBSA and RCMP do extraordinary work.”
Windsor police chief Al Frederick hopes to see funding specifically for this city.
“Windsor being on the border with the busiest border crossing in North America, we by definition fit the description of a unique community," says Frederick.
Frederick says extra money would help the local force enhance its own "smart" crime fighting technologies, and restore the drugs and guns unit to full strength.
Windsor police have investigated ten deaths in 2018 – nine homicides and one case of manslaughter – and three of them involved shootings.
Mayor Drew Dilkens said during the election campaign that the city needs support from upper levels of government to fight crime.
“This is not a solution that can only be done with municipal dollars,” said Dilkens. “It has to come with federal support and provincial support as well."
The CBSA will invest in an all-weather detector dog training facility, deploy new dog teams at key highway crossings, expand x-ray technology at postal centers and air cargo facilities, and provide training on the detection of concealed goods in vehicles crossing our borders.
Officials say $34.5 million over five years will also be used to enhance the RCMP's new Integrated Criminal Firearms Initiative (ICFI). The ICFI includes building capacity for investigations, training, inspections, technology, and intelligence.
