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Ministry of the Attorney General Ministère du Procureur général PDF Version

For Immediate Release
May 23, 2006



MCGUINTY GOVERNMENT EXPANDS THE FIGHT AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE


Guns And Gangs Crown Prosecutors To Be Deployed Provincewide

TORONTO — Attorney General Michael Bryant today announced the deployment of specialized anti-gun and gang Crown prosecutors to every region across the province, as part of the Guns and Gangs Task Force.

"The McGuinty government recognizes gun violence is not limited to the Toronto area," said Bryant. "That is why we are deploying expert Crown prosecutors to every region in the province, to work full-time as a resource to police and prosecutors on gun violence matters."

In order to further bolster the fight against gun violence, the Ministry will also appoint a specialized Information Technology (IT) Crown prosecutor and a Crown policy specialist to the Task Force.

The IT Crown prosecutor will provide support to investigation and prosecution teams across the province on issues relating to the use and management of electronic disclosure and the use and presentation of high tech evidence. Also, as an IT expert, the IT Crown prosecutor will be able to assist trial Crowns by suggesting new ways to present complex evidence through the use of high tech programs and equipment.

"As prosecutions become larger and more complex, we need to utilize new technology," said Bryant. "Effectively fighting gun crime involves organizing our justice system to stay one step ahead of the criminals. These dedicated and specialized Crown prosecutors will develop new strategies and tactics to combat crime."

The McGuinty government is on the side of Ontarians concerned about crime and safety. That is why the government is implementing a $51-million package of initiatives to fight gun crimes. The package includes:

  • expanding the number of Crown prosecutors working on the Guns and Gangs Task Force to 64
  • establishing a state-of-the-art provincial operations centre to allow for highly co-ordinated investigations and prosecutions of guns and gang-related offences
  • fast tracking the hiring of 1,000 additional police officers so that they can be on the streets by the end of 2006.


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Contacts:
Brendan Crawley
Communications Branch
(416) 326-2210


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