Manitoba offers security funds for places of worship

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WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government is promising up to $1 million to help boost security at places of worship following recent cases of vandalism with hate symbols.

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The province says the money can help pay for security equipment, such as alarms and cameras, and follows a similar program launched by the federal government.

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Premier Wab Kinew says the province will also provide places of worship with security advice and expertise from Dave Dalal, a former Winnipeg police officer.

Police arrested a man earlier this month after swastikas and other material were spray-painted on a mosque, a synagogue, a high school and other structures in Winnipeg.

They are also investigating a separate incident at a Middle Eastern restaurant that was vandalized and had a threatening message scrawled on it.

Details of the program are still being worked out, but the government says money will be available upfront and will be based on an assessment of each applicant’s needs.

“The reality is … in this current moment, we have to respond to the need to keep people safe,” Kinew said Monday at Shaarey Zedek, one of the buildings hit by the vandalism.

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