Advertisement

Ouellette announces plan to make Winnipeg safer for Aboriginal women

11 mayoral races to watch in 2014

Robert-Falcon Ouellette announced his plans Sunday to make Winnipeg a safer place to grow up — especially for young Aboriginal women and at-risk youth.

"We need to come together, to work together to support one another to make this city a safer place, but we also need to understand how different life is for those at risk, especially aboriginal women and children," said Ouellette.

"That is our challenge. How do we make a city safer for girls and women while delivering justice to those who need it most?"

Ouellette said he would ground the police helicopter and re-route the funding to enhance police services and social programming for those at risk.

"The city should develop and improve awareness training for police service members and its staff about specific risks that exist for Aboriginal women and girls in order to ensure an understanding of violence against women in a range of settings — including family violence, child sexual exploitation, and violence against women who have been sex trafficked and forced into the sex trade."

Ouellette also said he wants to expand the hours of shelters and drop in centres for at-risk youth.