Ottawa silent on February request from Manitoba government for funds to fight meth crisis
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/07/2020 (1969 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
OTTAWA — The Manitoba government has asked the federal Liberals to pony up $10 million to help stem violent crime in Winnipeg linked to methamphetamine use, the Free Press has learned.
The federal government hasn’t responded to the letter, sent 22 weeks ago.
The province made the pitch in February, and tried sweetening the deal with the $5 million it allocated to the Downtown Safety Partnership last month.
In a letter obtained through a freedom-of-information request, the Manitoba government noted the federal Liberals have already given funding to a Vancouver suburb plagued by gang violence.
“Winnipeg’s downtown safety issues require all levels of government to work in a concerted and collaborative manner, and I urge the federal government to commit additional funding,” reads the Feb. 20 letter from Manitoba Justice Minister Cliff Cullen.
The letter asks Public Safety Minister Bill Blair to consider helping pay for everything from closed-circuit cameras and foot patrols to enhanced lighting and tactical interventions for chronic and prolific offenders.
It notes the rise in violent crime linked to meth usage and the numerous reports on public safety and addictions.
Cullen followed up June 3, and his office said Wednesday he still hadn’t received a response from Blair.
The Downtown Safety Partnership is an effort to have social services respond to non-violent incidents, instead of police and paramedics.
The original February letter noted that in January 2019, the Liberals announced a five-year $7.5-million funding commitment to a Surrey, B.C. project to combat gang activity. The area has experienced a rise in violent crime — and also holds three swing ridings that have been hotly contested in recent elections.
The Surrey program focuses more on diverting young people from joining gangs than on responding to real-time incidents.
dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca