Organizations from around the province working to prevent violence against women, address gang violence, help Indigenous peoples heal from trauma and help make B.C. communities safer are invited to apply for civil forfeiture grants this fall.

Details of the grant submission process, which is open from Nov. 7 to Dec. 14, 2018, are available online: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/crime-prevention/community-crime-prevention/grants

“People throughout British Columbia benefit from the many programs and services funded by civil forfeiture grants,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “When we redirect the proceeds of crime toward helping those in need, we are helping build safer communities and providing services that meet the needs of our most vulnerable people.”

This year’s funding streams are focused on a number of government priorities, such as taking action on gun and gang violence, and supporting women who have experienced violence, including:

• community-led crime reduction and prevention initiatives
• healing and rebuilding in Indigenous communities
• enhancing restorative justice program capacity
• addressing violence against women and children by focusing on:
  • domestic violence and sexual assault
  • human trafficking, sexual exploitation and vulnerable women in the sex trade
  • child and youth advocacy centres
• police response, specialized equipment and training initiatives

As in past years, the overall amount available for grants will depend on the value of cases concluded by British Columbia’s Civil Forfeiture Office (CFO) during the current fiscal year, with grants awarded by the end of March 2019. The CFO works to remove the profits from unlawful activity by taking away the proceeds and assets used in crime — with the vast majority of cases linked to drug, gang and organized crime — and reinvesting them in community safety and crime prevention programs.

Learn More:

B.C.’s civil forfeiture program: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/crime-prevention/civil-forfeiture-office