Policing initiatives, Victims’ Fund getting money from province

Police in Saskatchewan are set to benefit from proceeds of crime that have been seized.

More than $578,000 is going to various police forces in the province through the Criminal Property Forfeiture Fund. Under legislation, a matching amount goes from that fund into the Victims’ Fund.

The Victims’ Fund offers support to victims of crime through both the justice and law enforcement systems as well as community organizations.

“Keeping our communities safe and offering support to victims of crime in our province is of utmost importance,” Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Christine Tell said in a release. “It is crucial to be able to take proceeds from criminal activity and put it to good use within our police agencies and community programs.”

The funding to police services will pay for:

• Electronic equipment to support the Regina Police Service’s new Aerial Support Unit;
• A light tower to illuminate collision and crime scenes, as well as checkpoints for the Saskatoon Police Service;
• A breaching arm for the Saskatoon Police Service’s armored response vehicle;
• A 3D laser imaging scanner to help the Saskatoon Police Service digitally map out crime scenes;
• Tactical equipment for officers responding to high-risk situations in Moose Jaw;
• Tactical first-aid training equipment in Prince Albert;
• Advancing the Prince Albert Police Service’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy; and,
• A Kubota RTV520 utility vehicle to assist officers in Estevan responding to emergency situations across nearly 13 kilometers of walking and bike paths.

Funds also will go to assist in the search for missing persons and to address family violence in the province’s north through distributions to Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers, the La Ronge Native Women’s Council and Catholic Family Services of Prince Albert.

Saskatchewan’s Civil Forfeiture Program, through The Seizure of Criminal Property Act, 2009, seeks property that’s considered to be proceeds or an instrument of unlawful activity.

Since its inception, the Criminal Property Forfeiture Fund has provided more than $7.5 million to police operations, the Victims’ Fund and community programming.

The funding announced Wednesday comes one day after the provincial government announced it was putting $1.66 million into the Civil Forfeiture Program to fight money laundering.

Four investigators, three legal counsel and a criminal analyst will be added to do those investigations.