Nearly $500,000 is funding 29 projects that will help make communities in British Columbia safer for families thanks to the work of the Civil Forfeiture Office, announced Solicitor General Shirley Bond.

The Civil Forfeiture Office's success in pursuing the forfeiture of proceeds from unlawful activity has enabled the Province to provide one-time grants totalling almost $500,000 to organizations that will focus on gang prevention and combating sexual exploitation and human trafficking.

These one-time grants range from $5,000 to $25,000 and are being provided to 29 organizations that include community and youth groups, Aboriginal organizations, First Nations bands and police departments. Nineteen projects are related to youth crime prevention and gang prevention, seven relate to sexual exploitation and three are focused on human trafficking.

Projects that have received funding are spread throughout the province and include:

• The introduction of violence-prevention curriculum at six Lower Mainland schools.
• A one-day workshop in Campbell River for North Island service providers focused on the issue of sexual exploitation
• Support for a rediscovery program in Prince Rupert that teaches Haida culture in the context of crime and violence prevention
• An awareness-raising campaign in Kelowna that will deliver an anti-gang message.

The announcement of support for these projects coincides with Crime Prevention Week in British Columbia, Nov. 1-7 - a time to highlight provincial and community efforts to reduce crime.

The provincial government continues to play a key leadership role in crime prevention, providing more than $375,000 in direct funding for crime prevention programs. An additional $768,000 is being provided this year to support gang prevention, sexual exploitation prevention and Aboriginal crime prevention initiatives through partnerships with the federal government.

Quick Facts:

• In B.C., proceeds from successful civil forfeiture actions fund the forfeiture program itself, with surplus amounts going to support crime prevention and remediation activities.
• During the five-year history of British Columbia's civil forfeiture program, the Province has provided more than $2.1 million from civil forfeiture proceeds to dozens of community projects aimed at curbing crime and helping victims throughout B.C..
• In 2011, $100,000 was provided for six projects focused on the prevention of domestic violence and services for victims of domestic violence

Contact:

Media Relations
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General
250 356-6961