The Town of The Blue Mountains is pleased to announce that the Province of Ontario has awarded the Blue Mountains Police Services Board a $300,000 grant through the Proceeds of Crime Frontline Policing Grant Program. The three-year grant will be used to implement a regional Mobile Victim Services initiative.
On Wednesday, August 12, Christine Hogarth, Parliamentary Assistant of Community Safety, presented Ontario Provincial Police Inspector Mary Shannon and Mayor Alar Soever with a notice of formal approval for the grant.
The three-year grant will be used to implement the Mobile Victim Services initiative, which aims to provide support and forensic investigation services for victims of sexual violence and human trafficking within the Town of The Blue Mountains and all Central Region Ontario Provincial Police Detachments. The grant will provide a dedicated vehicle, video equipment, a service dog and staff with specialized training in child advocacy. This will allow investigators to interview child victims in a comfortable setting in their home communities. Previous to this initiative, for child victims from our area to provide testimony, they were required to travel to child advocacy centres in either Orillia or Barrie, which often increased and prolonged the trauma associated with the crime.
“We are extremely pleased to have received this Provincial grant, which is the result of a collaborative effort between The Blue Mountains Police Services Board and the OPP. , explained Mayor Alar Soever. “The Mobile Victim Services Program is an important initiative that serves the most vulnerable in our community when they need it most.”
The Proceeds of Crime Frontline Policing Grant is supported with funds forfeited to the province following criminal prosecutions. These funds are made available to police services through a system of grants to fund local community safety and well-being initiatives.
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