Manitoba government invests in public safety in Brandon

The Manitoba government is investing $500,000 to strengthen community safety in Brandon and Portage la Prairie as part of its broader public safety strategy, Justice Minister Matt Wiebe and Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Glen Simard announced today.

“This funding is about keeping people safe and supporting the organizations that do essential work in our communities,” said Wiebe. “By making these investments, we’re helping local partners strengthen safety while continuing the important work of preventing crime and addressing its root causes.”

The City of Brandon will receive $300,000 and the City of Portage la Prairie will receive $200,000 to help secure municipal facilities and support community safety initiatives.

“Brandon and Portage la Prairie are growing communities, and investments like these make a real difference on the ground,” said Simard. “This funding will help ensure residents feel safe and supported, and that community organizations and the cities have the resources they need to continue serving people effectively.”

The funds will be used for community partnerships to enhance security with a focus on de-escalation and well-being, and for security upgrades. These upgrades can include cameras, security systems and new lighting, as well as repairs to broken windows, doors or locks, damage from vandalism and graffiti removal.

“We appreciate the Manitoba government’s $300,000 investment in community safety here in Brandon,” said Mayor Jeff Fawcett, City of Brandon. “This funding will go a long way in supporting the work already underway, and we’re hopeful it will help us strengthen our downtown this summer through a range of projects focused on safety and community well‑being.”

The investment supports measures to improve safety and security in community spaces and aligns with the Manitoba government’s public safety strategy, which takes a balanced approach that is tough on crime and the causes of crime, with strong emphasis on prevention and community-based programming, the ministers noted.

The Safer Neighbourhoods, Safer Downtowns Public Safety Strategy can be found at https://www.gov.mb.ca/justice/pubs/publicsafety_strategy.pdf.