In a press conference on November 21st, the Manitoba government announced a new step in addressing crime in the Swan Valley region.
Justice Minister Matt Wiebe unveiled the Swan Valley General Investigation Section (GIS) pilot program, an initiative for which the province has set aside $265,000.
“This means more boots on the ground by hiring three new officers as part of an RCMP unit to crack down on drug trafficking, on violent crime, and on other serious crime that's happening here in the community and in the surrounding areas,” says Minister Wiebe. “This is a new, innovative model, and [it] offers regional solutions for the complex challenges that we're seeing.”
“It’s all about partnerships”
For Minister Wiebe, the pilot program comes in response to the work that law enforcement has already been doing in the area. He says that many community members have come forward with concerns, and now, the process of finding solutions in partnership with the Manitoba government has begun.
“That's what this is really all about,” says Minister Wiebe. “It's about partnerships, it's about building on successes and finding opportunities that we can partner on to make things safer here in the community.”
The Town of Swan River, the municipalities of Swan Valley West and Minitonas-Bowsman, and the Rural Municipality of Mountain have signed a new five-year agreement to establish a GIS in Swan River to support local Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) efforts in addressing crime. -Manitoba government News Release, November 21st, 2024.
Minister Wiebe says the GIS has been formed through partnerships with local municipalities, Mayor Lance Jacobson of Swan River, and other community members.
“The kind of work that they want to do and need to do.”
With input from around the region, Minister Wiebe says it is now Manitoba’s “opportunity as a government to stand up and partner and bring the funding to make this happen.”
The GIS aims to be a much-needed boon for local law enforcement.
“We know that . . . local law enforcement here in the Swan Valley and in Swan River in particular [has] been working harder than ever before. Ultimately, that's what this is about — keeping our officers safe and offering them the resources to do the work,” says Minister Wiebe. “[It's] the kind of work that they want to do and need to do here in the community.”
Drug trafficking in Manitoba
Drug trafficking has come up as one area of extreme concern.
“It's . . . surging all across the province, but in particular in the Swan Valley. That's why it's now up to us to take action to show progress,” says Minister Wiebe, adding a strong message about how the matter will be addressed.
“It's time for us to take back our streets. It's time for us to say, ‘Enough is enough,’” he says. “It’s time for us as a community to come together and send the message that we're going to take action, so I appreciate these kinds of direct solutions that have come forward. The GIS is an important element of that.”
One step of many to come
Minister Wiebe says the establishment of the GIS aligns with the province’s discussions about “getting tough on crime” and understanding its causes.
“Our Public Safety Strategy that we released just last week speaks directly to some of the challenges that many communities are facing, but in particular, it talks about rural crime,” he says. “Announcing GIS, this special investigation unit [and] adding additional resources for the RCMP takes some of the pressure off the day-to-day challenges that our officers are seeing here in town.”
According to Minister Wiebe, tackling organized crime will have a “real impact.” He adds that measures beyond the GIS are also in the works.
“Of course, this is in addition to many more initiatives, including . . . the ankle bracelets that are coming to rural Manitoba [and] additional funding for municipalities when it comes to public safety,” he says. “All of these measures combined show that we are a government of action, that we're willing to work with others, [that] we're listening to law enforcement about their needs, and ultimately, we're putting the resources where they are needed to make a difference. It's a step in the right direction, and we can only do it in partnership with others.”
Minister Wiebe is thankful to the rural municipalities, Swan River, local law enforcement, and the broader community for their opinions regarding the issues the region faces.
“This is the kind of feedback and input that we're looking for. These are the kind of partnerships we're looking for,” he says. “When we work together, when we tackle these big problems together, we know that we're going to see results. Thank you very much, everybody, for your hard work.”
The Justice Minister finished his announcement by thanking the community for approaching the government of Manitoba with the matter.
With files from Candace Derksen