KAWARTHA LAKES-The City of Kawartha Lakes Police Service will expand its Community Response Unit (CRU) and build on its existing partnership with the Ross Memorial Hospital Mental Health Unit with the help of $292,500 from the provincial government.
The funds are part of the Proceeds of Crime Front-line Policing Grant using cash forfeited to the provincial and federal governments during prosecutions. These funds are made available to police services to fund crime prevention and community safety initiatives.
“By cutting off the resources of these crooks and redirecting that money to our brave men and women in uniform, we will ensure our police can keep our streets safe and put violent criminals behind bars where they belong,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Thanks to the relentless work of police forces across the province, we’re able to deliver $6 million more to help combat the most heinous crimes.”
Ontario says it is investing more than $6 million over three years (from 2020 to 2023) to support 21 projects across the province that will focus on at least one of the following priorities:
- gun and gang violence
- human trafficking
- sexual violence and harassment
The Kawartha Lakes police CRU team provides proactive support and intervention to individuals suffering from mental illness and who have had previous interactions with police. The Kawartha Lakes Police Service will also use Health IM software to improve data collection, track changes in the mental health of high-risk individuals over time, increase efficiencies between police and hospital emergency staff and provide an improved level of service for uniform officers responding to mental health calls.
Peterborough Police Special Victims Unit will receive almost  $1.2 million to focus on investigating crimes related to human trafficking, child exploitation, elder abuse, domestic violence as well as sexual violence and harassment. Staffed with a dedicated team, the unit’s goal will be to improve case management and ensure a better coordination of support services to victims. The team will also engage in enhanced awareness and prevention strategies with the community.
