EDMONTON, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/14 -- Public Safety Canada
The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health, Minister Responsible for Northern Alberta and MP for Edmonton-Spruce Grove, on behalf of the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, today announced $5,207,212 in federal funding over five years for a new crime prevention program WrapED, that will help at-risk youth in Edmonton.
WrapED, run by REACH Edmonton Council for Safe Communities, will provide comprehensive support and engagement to Aboriginal and refugee youth aged 12-17 who are most at risk of involvement with gangs. By promoting community involvement, education, and counselling programs, the project will help youth avoid gang crime related activities, disengage from gangs, and increase cultural and community connections.
Quick Facts
-- From April 2012 to March 2013, the Harper Government funded 105 active,
multi-year community-based crime prevention projects through the
National Crime Prevention Centre, in which more than 16,000 at-risk
youth participated.
-- Our Government has also committed $7.5 million per year in ongoing
funding to support the Youth Gang Prevention Fund. This fund invests in
communities where youth gangs are an existing or emerging threat, and
supports initiatives that clearly target youth in gangs or at greatest
risk of joining gangs.
Quotes
"Our Government is preventing gang crime and improving the safety of our communities. Through this project, youth are gaining life skills that help them make smart choices, and avoid gangs and a life of crime. Crime prevention programs such as this one will help us continue to fight crime, and make our streets and communities safe for Canadians."
The Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
"This Government continues to build safer communities for Canadians through projects such as this one that will help at-risk youth from getting involved in gangs. Our Government's support for this project will provide the necessary tools to at-risk youth, and help prevent crime and reduce gang activity in Edmonton."
The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health
"WrapEd addresses the unique needs of diverse youth in Edmonton by giving them the support that they need to get out of gangs. We are proud of the invaluable partnership that has been established with key frontline agencies that will ensure a truly effective wraparound approach to help some of our city's most vulnerable youth."
REACH Edmonton Executive Director, Jan Fox
Associated Links
- Public Safety's National Crime Prevention Centre
Contacts
Follow Public Safety Canada (@Safety_Canada) on Twitter.
For more information, please visit the website www.publicsafety.gc.ca.
Contacts:
Jean-Christophe de Le Rue
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Public Safety
and Emergency Preparedness
613-991-2924
Michael Bolkenius
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Rona Ambrose
Minister of Health
(613) 957-0200
Media Relations
Public Safety Canada
613-991-0657
