Ontario Awarding Victim Support Grants to Police Services and Community Partners in Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston

Province supporting victims and survivors of intimate partner violence/domestic violence, human trafficking and child exploitation

NEWS September 20, 2023

Smiths Falls —The Ontario government is investing more than $4 million across the province to help support victims and survivors of intimate partner violence/domestic violence, human trafficking, and child exploitation. The funding is being delivered through the Victim Support Grant program and includes just over $257,000 for police services and community partners in Lanark, Smiths Falls and Kingston.

Lanark County Ontario Provincial Police will work with Lanark County Interval House, through their Collaborative Approaches to Survivor Engagement (CASE) Upstream, to increase the hours available for victim advocates to help connect victims and survivors of domestic violence/intimate partner violence to resources and aid them in navigating the justice system. The project will also offer training and education programs to help stop the cycle of violence before it starts.

The Smiths Falls Police Service will work with community partners to address the rise in victimization due to intimate partner violence and child exploitation in Lanark County. Funds will be used to increase the capacity to support victims of sex crimes and intimate partner violence, through purposeful and effective police officer training, strengthening collaboration among community partners and providing public education and youth outreach.

And the Kingston Police, through Kingston Community Collaboration, will use its funding to develop and deliver a three-day training course for frontline officers on intimate partner violence. It will also help establish case management mechanisms and multi-sector situation tables for a more effective and coordinated approach to supporting victims.

“This funding is extremely vital to establishing and enhancing a wide range of resources that allow police and partner agencies to respond effectively and empathetically to victims and survivors of gender-based violence,” said MPP John Jordan, Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston. “The collaborative impact between these partners means help will be available when it’s needed most.”

“Support for victims and survivors is a crucial first step to recovery,” said Solicitor General Michael Kerzner. “This important grant is part of our government’s plan to combat violent crime on our streets and ensure that victims are not left behind.”

The Victim Support Grant (VSG) is part of Ontario’s Guns, Gangs and Violence Reduction Strategy and complements the province’s $307 million Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy, 2020-2025 and Combating Human Trafficking Act, 2021.

QUICK FACTS

  • All municipal and First Nation police services as well as the Ontario Provincial Police are eligible to apply for funding through the VSG program.
  • The VSG can be used for a variety of projects and initiatives, including specialized training for law enforcement, culturally responsive education and awareness campaigns, and purchasing technology and equipment to enhance police investigations and provide survivors with the option to complete interviews remotely.
  • Of the 45 projects being funded across the province, 19 will focus on intimate partner violence and domestic violence, five on human trafficking, three on child exploitation, and 18 that will focus on all three areas.
  • The Ontario government is investing over $2 million in the Partner Assault Response (PAR) program to help break the cycle of intimate partner violence and keep communities safe. The PAR program provides specialized group education and counselling for people charged with intimate partner violence offences and offers support to current partners of those in the program. This two-year investment is in addition to the more than $2 million given to PAR providers in 2022.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

MPP John Jordan Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston
Email: john.jordan@pc.ola.org
Phone: 613-284-1630
Facebook: John Jordan, MPP Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston
Twitter: @johnjordan_lfk

Hunter Kell

Solicitor General’s Office

Hunter.Kell@ontario.ca