Safety summit to focus on root causes of crime in Manitoba

Premier Wab Kinew on April 30, 2024. (Owen Swinn/CTV News Winnipeg)

A safety summit is underway in Manitoba to help the province develop a plan to address crime.

Community and business leaders across the province are taking part in the conference at the RBC Convention Centre Tuesday to develop ways to keep Manitoba communities safe.

“We know the only way that we can surmount challenges like this one is the same way Manitobans always respond to big challenges, and that’s by responding to them together,” Premier Wab Kinew said during a speech at the event.

The NDP had promised to develop a public safety strategy during the election campaign last year, and involve multiple stakeholders.

“We’re going to put all the best minds, and the best ideas, and try to chart the best path forward together,” Kinew said.

Some of the topics that will be addressed at the summit include mental health, youth violence, and access to justice and victim services.

Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said collaboration among organizations that focus on justice and helping community members is essential for the success of the justice strategy.

“What we’re expecting by bringing everyone into one room is to get everyone on the same page, and get everyone working together once again, to share ideas and share perspectives,” he said.

“We hope that by bringing everybody into the same room, we’ll have an opportunity to reinvigorate some of those conversations and those collaborations.”

The province said the strategy will be released in late September.