ETOBICOKE – Roy Cullen, Member of Parliament for Etobicoke North, announced today that the Government of Canada will award $30,000 to the Somali Canadian Association of Etobicoke under the National Strategy on Community Safety and Crime Prevention. With this project, Etobicoke North has received $180,000 in federal funding in the last year to combat crime.

"Community-based crime prevention initiatives like this one are the key to ensuring safety in the homes and streets of Etobicoke North," said Mr. Cullen. "This initiative shows how members of this community can work together to make a difference in the fight against crime."

"The best way to fight crime is to prevent it in the first place," noted Mr. Cullen. "I am pleased that the Government of Canada is supporting the efforts of the Somali Canadian Association of Etobicoke to reduce crime in Etobicoke North. Their efforts will in turn benefit all of Toronto."

The purpose of this project, entitled "Train the Trainee", is to train a group of individuals who will maximize their potential for leadership and become role models for the community. The project will target 20 at-risk youth and their parents and provide 2 days of in-class training for the first three months, and 2 days of practice per week. The training will be provided in a workshop setting and will extend to such subjects as: anger and stress management; cultural parenting; human rights; substance abuse; and leadership skills. The project was reviewed and recommended by the Ontario Joint Management Committee, consisting of representatives of the Federal Department of Justice, the Government of Ontario and the members of this community.

"The real experts on crime prevention in any community are the people who are part of that community. The project introduced today is about community members developing crime prevention solutions that meet their unique needs," concluded Mr. Cullen.

The funding for these projects is being provided under the Community Mobilization Program of the National Strategy on Community Safety and Crime Prevention. Phase II of the strategy, announced on June 2, 1998, includes $32 million a year in federal funding to help Canadians undertake crime prevention initiatives in their communities.

For further information, please contact:

Chris Gray, Office Manager

Roy Cullen, M.P. Etobicoke North

(416) 747-6003

or

National Crime Prevention Centre

1-877-302-NCPC

ncpc@web.net

www.crime-prevention.org