MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - A recently launched multi-stakeholder campaign aims to help ensure that victims of crime in rural Alberta continue to receive adequate financial and other support going forward, officials say.
The campaign is a joint effort by the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA), the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) and Victim Services Alberta.
Mountain View County councillor Al Kemmere is past president of RMA.
“I believe the role of victim services is under appreciated and potentially reducing the funding that supports these services is not forward-thinking and will leave significant gaps in mental health support in our community,” said Kemmere, speaking as past RMA president.
The RMA and the AUMA represent municipalities in the district, including Mountain View County and area towns and villages.
The new advocacy and awareness campaign is focused on the impacts that recent provincial decisions related to victim services funding and program delivery may have on the sustainability of rural victim services organizations, say campaign officials.
About 80,000 victims of crime and trauma are supported through victim services programs in the province every year. Specifically, the Victims of Crime Fund receives $60 million annually through a 20 per cent surcharge on provincial and federal fines.
The government of Alberta recently amended the Victims of Crime Act to expand how funds collected through the fund could be used, including allowing the funding to be used for general public safety initiatives.
A government review of the current victim services delivery model is also underway, representing another area that a campaign official says could potentially change the availability and quality of rural victim services.
Bruce Beattie is the reeve of Mountain View County.
“The people who have suffered from criminal activity have long been ignored by the judicial system and the victim of crimes fund was one step toward correcting the significant public issue,” said Beattie.
“Last year the province in their wisdom decided to increase their take on municipal fines for traffic offences from 26 per cent to 40 per cent. I took some consolation that funding continued to be provided for victims of crime.
“To see this expanded well beyond victims of crime to a very general area of public safety is a major concern as well as providing judges the discretion of whether or not too levy the surcharge. This is hardly sending the right message to criminals.”
Greg Harris is Mountain View County’s deputy reeve.
“As you may expect from my previous career (as a police officer), I am a strong supporter of the victim services programs throughout the province,” said Harris. “As you can see from the collaboration between RMA and AUMA, both organizations have concerns about recent changes by the Alberta government that may change funding to victims and victims services.
“The campaign is an important tool to raise awareness and gauge support as these organizations lobby government.”
As well as advocating directly to the government, the new campaign is also encouraging RMA and AUMA members to share concerns with MLAs through a customizable letter template.
The letter states, in part, that, “We are concerned that funding will be cut for victim services programs across the province, which is particularly surprising after the province increased the provincial fine surcharge that goes directly into the Victims of Crime Fund.
“We strongly believe that this fund should be used solely to support long-term, sustainable funding for victims’ financial benefits and services, as originally intended. We also support keeping current, community-based model for delivery supports and services to victims.”
The RMA has passed a related resolution which calls on the government to “use the monies from the Victims of Crime Fund to adequately fund provincial victim services units so they can provide the staffing levels required to assist victims of crime.”
Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills UCP MLA Nathan Cooper did not immediately return a request for comment.
