Halton Regional Police Service Receives $1.2 million Grant in Support of Anti-Hate Initiative

By Saeed Akhtar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Milton Reporter

Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) has been awarded $1.2 million in funding to combat hate and bias within the Halton region. 

The grant, issued through the Ministry of Solicitor-General’s Community Safety and Policing Grant, will be issued over a three-year period. 

The funding will be used to support the launch of a campaign #NoHateInHalton – Promoting Respect, Equity and Inclusivity in Our Community.

In its statement, the Halton Police said that the grant would be used to address several ‘strategic priorities’ which include community consultations to remove barriers in reporting such crimes, enhancing the service’s response to them, increasing personnel assigned to act on these crimes, enhance their training, expand the campaign in educational institutes, and establishment of an annual Hate Crime Symposium. 

The police will also work to identify opportunities for new partnerships and avenues for public education. 

“Hate has no place in our region,” said Halton Regional Police Service Chief Stephen J. Tanner. 

“In the coming years, the Halton Regional Police Service looks forward to executing on these strategic, expanded efforts to combat hate, and to increasing our proactive work alongside community partners to reduce and eventually eliminate hate within the region of Halton.”