The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The fight against organized crime in the province is being supported with the investment of a further $1 million, Attorney General Gord Mackintosh, RCMP Chief Superintendent Bill Robinson, Winnipeg Police Service Deputy Chief Menno Zacharias and Brandon Police Chief Richard Bruce announced this week. The Manitoba government has committed $400,000 with a further $600,000 flowing from the Proceeds of Crime Trust Fund. "Police in this province are making excellent use of the legal tools available to hit criminals in a place it really hurts them-the pocketbook," said Mackintosh. "There's a satisfying irony in having the police use money that used to belong to criminals against them." The funds build on existing support for the Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) formed last year. This integrated effort is made up primarily of officers from the RCMP and the Winnipeg Police Service with participation from the Brandon Police Service and other municipalities as needed. The unit focuses on intelligence-led enforcement to seriously disrupt organized crime at the leadership level. "Organized crime doesn't just affect large cities," said Robinson. "If left unchecked, it would threaten the safety and security of all Manitobans, and pose risks to our institutions, society, economy and the quality of life." "Co-ordinating our approach to fighting organized crime and sharing information and operations has led us to some remarkable successes in shutting down criminal activities, and we want to build on those successes," said Zacharias. "Police across the province have joined forces to tackle the tough issues organized crime present our communities with, and with our joint investments of expertise, time and resources, we are making a difference," said Bruce. Provincial funding helped cover the operating expenses involved in setting up the unit in 2003. In addition, Crown attorneys from Manitoba Justice lend their expertise to OCTF cases. The trust fund was established by the provincial government to implement provisions of federal proceeds of crime legislation. Funds that are generated are disbursed to the provinces by the federal government yearly, based on an established sharing formula. The use of money in the trust fund is by the mutual agreement of the province and police forces that are a part of a provincial proceeds of crime sharing formula.
