Policing and Victim Services

Policing:

• sets policing standards, and ensures that policing services are delivered efficently and effectively
• provides regular audits, inspections and reviews for municipal police agencies to ensure improved policing standards are being met.
• manages contracts for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and First Nations Policing
• provides community-based crime prevention initiatives
• coordinates in-service training initiatives for police and public safety enforcement agencies
• issues licenses to companies and individuals engaged in the private security/private investigation industries.
• issues Firearms Licenses and inspection of premises approved to sell firearms.

Victim Services of the Department of Justice was created in 1989 as a vehicle to reduce the effects of crime on the people in Nova Scotia. Its purpose is as follows:

• to promote the rights of victims of crime and provide an avenue to address their needs
  
• to provide information and services to victims of crime and to raise community awareness on victims' issues
  
• to work within Government, the criminal justice system and the community to develop and implement policies and programs for victims of crime

Victim Services has, as its roots, two pieces of legislation: Section 727.9 of the Criminal Code (1989) and the Victims' Rights and Services Act (1990). These pieces of legislation created a surcharge to be imposed on both federal and provincial offences, the revenue of which is placed in a Victims' Assistance Fund for research and services for victims of crime. The provincial Act also contains a victims' bill of rights.