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MLA Report – Aug. 2, 2019

Northern Manitobans thankful to police, military personnel and Bear Clan Patrol for their work during manhunt near Gillam
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I am very grateful to all the Manitoba RCMP officers and Canadian Forces members who have gone to great lengths during the past several days in their manhunt for the two homicide suspects from British Columbia in our northern region of the province. By all accounts, this has been extremely difficult work in very challenging landscape and conditions in remote areas primarily surrounding Gillam, Split Lake and York Landing, and all Northern Manitobans are certainly thankful that these police and military personnel – as well as volunteers such as Bear Clan Patrol members who joined the search – have done this gruelling work for the safety of the public.

Our government is taking a leadership role to improve policing intelligence and collaboration through our Manitoba Policing and Public Safety Strategy. We are investing $2.7 million more this year in provincial policing for targeted initiatives, including $1 million to support joint policing for suppression and disruption of illicit drug trafficking networks, and $300,000 for development of a strategy to deal with high crime rates in the north. We have also partnered with the federal government to provide $13 million over five years for our Guns and Gangs Suppression Strategy, which focuses on dismantling criminal organizations.  

To address the causes of crime, we are making strategic investments in addictions treatment and support by modernizing previously stagnated mental health and addictions services. As part of this strategy, new funding was announced in June to increase staffing resources at all five Rapid Access to Addictions Medication (RAAM) clinics that our government has created, including the one in Thompson. To date, more than 1,100 Manitobans have received help from these clinics for substance abuse. Longer-term withdrawal beds, which are better suited to treating those suffering from methamphetamine addictions, are slated to come into use by the end of the summer. As well, we have made it easier for people dealing with alcohol addictions to get access to anti-craving medications. Our government was elected to repair the services Manitobans depend on, and we are significantly improving access to the services they need.

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