Community safety initiatives and resources

Overview

The Ministry of the Solicitor General (the ministry) works in partnership with police and community organizations to:

• develop and co-ordinate the planning, implementation and evaluation of crime prevention and community safety initiatives
• administer and evaluate grant programs in compliance with provincial transfer payment accountability requirements
• provide advice to police services and community organizations on ministry grant programs and other initiatives
• provide liaison and consulting services to police services, Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police committees, provincial crime prevention organizations, the National Crime Prevention Strategy and other stakeholders
• represent Ontario in all levels of governmental initiatives relating to crime prevention

We also provide input into policy and legislative amendments that affect:

• policing
• crime prevention
• road safety initiatives

Community safety and well-being planning

We work with police and community partners to develop community safety initiatives and resources to help communities address local crime and complex social issues, such as mental health and addictions, gun and gang violence, human trafficking and hate-motivated crimes.

As part of this work, municipalities must develop a community safety and well-being plan in consultation with service providers and community partners.

These resources support local community safety and well-being planning efforts:

• Crime prevention in Ontario: a framework for action booklet focuses on promoting the benefits of community safety and well-being to Ontario communities.
• Community safety and well-being in Ontario: a snapshot of local voices booklet highlights locally-identified community safety and well-being challenges and practices.
• Community safety and well-being planning framework: a shared commitment in Ontario booklet provides support to municipalities and First Nations communities in creating community safety and well-being plans, including how to work collaboratively across sectors to identify and address local priority risks by focusing on prevention and social development programs.
• Guidance on information sharing in multi-sectoral risk intervention models outlines best practices for professionals where information is shared about individuals or families to connect them to services in the community and mitigate their acute risk of harm.

Risk-driven tracking database

The Risk-driven Tracking Database (RTD) provides a standardized means of gathering de-identified information on situations of elevated risk for communities implementing multi-sectoral risk intervention models, such as Situation Tables.

The RTD is a tool that helps communities collect information on local priorities such as:

• agency and sector engagement
• risks
• vulnerable groups
• protective factors
• service availability and mobilization

A detailed RTD agreement is required for all users accessing the RTD and extensive training and resources are provided to all new users. The ministry has implemented all necessary privacy measures including the following:

• limited access per site
• user authentication process in place
• no open text fields in the database
• de-identified data: only limited quasi-identifiers collected including age range
• quarterly data audits
• privacy impact assessments and security penetration tests conducted
• small cell policy developed in consultation with privacy specialists

Municipalities can use this data, along with other local data from community partners, to develop community safety and well-being plans that respond to the unique needs of each municipality.

For additional information on the RTD or to access a copy of the annual reports, please email SafetyPlanning@ontario.ca.

Current grant programs

The ministry provides grants, primarily to police services, in collaboration with community partners, in support of local and provincial community safety priorities. Police services and community partners can apply to these grants when a call for applications is announced. These grants include the:

• Safer and Vital Communities Grant provides funding to community-based, not-for-profit organizations and First Nations Chiefs and Band Councils to address local risks to safety and well-being in the community
• Proceeds of Crime – Frontline Policing Grant uses assets seized by the provincial and federal governments during criminal prosecutions to help the police carry out specific crime prevention projects in the community
• Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) Grant provides funding to enhance regular RIDE spot-check activities carried out by local police services
• Constable Joe MacDonald Public Safety Officers’ Survivors Scholarship Fund recognizes the sacrifice made by our public safety officers and their families to keep Ontario safe, and is available to the spouses and children of public safety officers who have died in the line of duty (*see below for agency accountability information)
• Hate Crimes and Extremism Investigative Team Grant supports a team of 20 municipal police services, as well as the Ontario Provincial Police, who focus on crime involving hate propaganda, the promotion of genocide, hate-motivated crimes and criminal extremism
• Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet protects children from online exploitation, with the help of municipal police services, the OPP, crown attorneys, and victim service providers
• Ontario Association of Crime Stoppers Program is a partnership between the public, the police and the media that allows citizens to anonymously help the police solve crimes. Funds go towards operating an answering service that receives crime-related tips outside of regular business hours
• Court Security and Prisoner Transportation Program provides funding to municipalities to assist in partially offsetting their court security and prisoner transportation costs
• Community Safety and Policing Grant provides police services with the necessary tools and resources to enable deployment of front-line officers where and when they are needed most, as well as support police services as they implement public safety and community policing initiatives that focus on local or provincial priorities
• The Ontario Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Grant Program supports the expansion of CCTV systems in municipalities across the province, as part of Ontario’s guns, gangs and violence reduction strategy. The grant supports police services and communities in increasing public safety. It is available to all municipal and First Nations police services as well as the Ontario Provincial Police
• Victim Support Grant (VSG) Program provides funding to build resources and address the needs of victims and survivors of intimate partner violence/domestic violence, human trafficking, and/or child exploitation. The grant enables police services, in collaboration with community-based agencies, organizations or Indigenous communities, to develop new or enhance existing community initiatives.
• The Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) Enhancement Grant offers funding to police services to increase crisis workers on their teams. This grant supports the on-going need for additional mental health assistance on calls involving individuals experiencing a mental health and/or addiction crisis, as well as to better leverage local mental health expertise
• Preventing Auto Theft (PAT) Grant provides funding to support police services/boards in combatting and preventing vehicle thefts and associated violent crimes across the province. Through the PAT Grant, police services/boards will be able to undertake local policing initiatives unique to their needs to combat auto thefts in their communities, as well as educate the public on how to avoid these crimes.
• Bail Compliance and Warrant Apprehension (BCWA) Grant offers funding to support police services/boards in strengthening their bail compliance and warrant apprehension enforcement programs. Through the BCWA Grant, police services/boards can address issues of bail compliance by expanding the resources needed to monitor and apprehend high-risk repeat offenders violating bail conditions, and help ensure that both sentencing and bail processes work to reduce violent acts and keep communities safe.

For more information about Community Safety and Well-being planning, the RTD, or any of the grant programs listed, please email SafetyPlanning@ontario.ca.

Related links

• Current community safety project grant recipients
• Policing in Ontario

*Constable Joe MacDonald Public Safety Officers’ Survivors Scholarship Fund governance documents

The Constable Joe MacDonald Public Safety Officers’ Survivors Scholarship Fund is an advisory agency and is not required to have or post governance documents under the Agencies and Appointments Directive.

Expense information

No expenses were incurred in any fiscal year not listed. Current to March 31, 2024.

Fiscal year 2017-18

Fiscal year 2016-17

Fiscal year 2015-16