Communities in B.C. are sharing $115 million to invest in policing and community safety, services and projects, Coralee Oakes, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development announced today.

The funding comes from the Small Community and Regional District Grant and Traffic Fine Revenue Sharing Grant Programs. The $115 million total funding will be paid in two instalments - $40 million in March 2015 and $75 million in June 2015.

Communities have discretion and flexibility to use the unconditional funding to meet their local needs in various ways including more policing, restorative justice programs, new equipment, increased community safety initiatives, infrastructure, administration and service delivery priorities.

Since 2009, funding under these programs has provided more than $718 million to help support B.C. communities.

Quotes:

Coralee Oakes, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development - 

“Local governments have the discretion to use money from Small Community and Regional District Grants where they feel it is best spent according to their needs and priorities. They use it to provide local services, infrastructure and important programs for B.C. families.”

Suzanne Anton, Attorney General and Minister of Justice - 

“Traffic fine revenue sharing represents a provincial commitment to public safety that comes full-circle: the revenue is the result of police enforcement efforts to keep our roads safer, and it goes back to communities to help them address priority local policing, crime prevention and other public safety programming.”

Quick Facts:

• The March 2015, Small Community Grant, Regional District Grant and Traffic Fine Revenue funding is allocated as follows:
  • Communities will receive a total of $19 million in Small Community and Regional District Grants. These grants are specifically meant to help address infrastructure, administration and service delivery priorities. Since 2009, more than $347 million has been provided to communities.
  • Communities will receive $21 million in traffic fine revenue. Traffic fine revenue comes from ticket fines and court-imposed fines on violation tickets. The Government of B.C. delivers 100% of collected net traffic fine revenues to communities - since 2009 more than $371 million has been provided to fund policing and community safety.

An additional payment of $75 million will be made under these programs in June 2015.

• Examples of previous years’ funding include:
  • Infrastructure renewal of six neighbourhood roads in Comox.
  • Ensuring police have support in crime prevention by funding two full-time police support positions in Maple Ridge.
  • Maintenance on recreational infrastructure in the Regional District of Mount Waddington.
  • A restorative justice initiative funded in Richmond.
  • Funding a special Residential and Commercial Break-in Task Force in Burnaby, with a focus on prolific and active suspects.
  • Supporting the addition of three police officers in Langford.

Learn More:

For a complete list of grants, go to: http://ow.ly/Lot7a

Small Community, Regional District and Traffic Fine Revenue Sharing Grants: http://www.cscd.gov.bc.ca/lgd/policy_research/local_government_grants.htm

Media Contacts:

Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development
250 356-6334