A total of 18 local businesses and organizations will benefit from a grant issued by the City of Grande Prairie. Through the Crime Mitigation Grant, a pilot project allotting limited capital funding of project proposals within the City of Grande Prairie, $50,000 is being designated to help mitigate crime-related concerns.
Grande Prairie Mayor Bill Given says the Crime Mitigation Grant is somewhat of a revival a previous program.
“Last year at budget, council directed administration to include money in 2020 to renew that program and the funds that committee is recommending council approve will help a number of property owners make safety enhancements to their properties,” he says.
Improvements through the grant can include improving lighting, fencing, security cameras, and signage that will provide for increased safety of patrons at those facilities as well as the general public. Given adds one thing that stood out to him during the grant discussion was simply the number of locations that are seeking to improve the lighting around their business.
“I think having improved lighting is a pretty well-recognized community safety through environmental design principle and so I was happy to see that,” he says.
“What this program is, is a demonstration that the city is involved in a pretty broad spectrum of community safety initiatives that run all the way from far-end enforcement using RCMP officers to these sort of preventative measures and I think the real strength of this program is it’s a preventative program that is in partnership with the community.”
Applications to the program were reviewed by the Crime Mitigation Assessment Committee, comprised of representatives from the RCMP, Enforcement Services, and Health and Safety, as well as the Protective and Social Services Director’s office.