Print

E-mail

Text

The federal government has pledged nearly $5 million to develop a pilot program that will help at-risk youth avoid or escape a life of gang violence.

Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, flanked by Mayor David Miller, made the announcement Wednesday, Sept. 3 in the port lands.

"Safety and security is clearly the responsibility of every level of government," said Day, pointing out the various ways - such as hiring more RCMP, municipal police and border patrol officers - that his government is following through on its promises.

He then announced $4.9 million has been earmarked so Toronto's at-risk youth and their families can break the cycle by receiving job training as well as social and educational skills to help them "avoid a life of crime and gang and drug activity."

And while Day said law enforcement is still an important reality, he underlined prevention and treatment are other ways the federal government wants to help at-risk youth from heading down the wrong paths.

"We also believe in the open arms of the community," Day said, quashing any whispers the announcement is related to rumours of a possible federal election call.

An elated Miller said the additional funding would improve the city's over-all safety.

"We have a safe city in Toronto but our goal is to make that city even safer," he said.

"It's giving youth a chance to succeed. If they don't have a chance, we'll be in partnership to find ways to put them in jail."

The three-and-a-half-year program will involve local agencies who will work with at-risk youth, their vulnerable families and those who may re-offend. The money will also be directed towards prevention programs and treatment centres.

Toronto's preventing Youth Gang Activity pilot project, which operates in conjunction with the U of T's department of criminology, will be initially set up in the city's Malvern, Kingston-Galloway and Jamestown communities.

The funding is part of the country's $33-million National Crime Prevention Strategy.