VICTORIA - The Province is returning $58.8 million in traffic fine revenues to British Columbia municipalities, as part of government's ongoing commitment to enhance policing and public safety, Community Services Minister Ida Chong announced.

"This year, we are returning the most ever under the Traffic Fine Revenue Sharing program to municipalities. Whether it is for more officers on the street, more crime prevention programs or better strategies to combat drugs and vandalism, this funding makes a difference in the lives of British Columbians," said Chong. "Through municipal accountability reports that communities submit to government, taxpayers are seeing how their municipalities are investing these significant funds to make their communities safer. We look forward to receiving these reports once again this year, providing local governments with an opportunity to showcase their innovative ideas and actions."

Since its expansion in 2004, when the Province began returning 100 per cent of traffic fine revenues, an additional $159.8 million has gone to municipalities for public safety, for a total of $199.8 million. This grant program is to assist those municipalities that pay local police enforcement costs. The provincial traffic fine revenue comes from ticket fines and court-imposed fines on violation tickets and the amount of money a municipality receives is based on its contribution to total municipal policing costs.

"Local governments have the flexibility to use these funds as they choose to fight crime and enhance public safety and we've seen some innovative projects launched with the support provided to date," said Solicitor General John Les. "This includes 450 more officers in municipalities, expanded reserve and auxiliary constable programs and the hiring of civilian complaint takers to allow police officers to return to the beat."

Today's announcement of $58.8 million includes $2.6 million for municipalities with populations under 5,000 and rural areas to help offset the police tax that ensures fairness and equitable sharing of policing costs provincewide. This amount is calculated on a percentage of policing expenditures in these areas.

Information on how individual local governments are spending the traffic fine revenue, and the number of officers they have hired, is available on the Ministry of Community Services website at: www.cserv.gov.bc.ca/lgd/policy_research/tfrs_reports.htm.

It is anticipated that municipalities will receive the newest traffic fine revenue sharing grants by July 31, 2007.