The Ontario government is giving the Windsor Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police in Essex County funding to support survivors of sexual assault.
The province has allocated $1.79-million over two years to support 15 police pilot projects through its It's Never Okay initiative and Walking Together, a long-term strategy to end violence against aboriginal women.
The Project Believe Empower Support Together or B.E.S.T in Essex County will receive $108,879 to establish committees to improve police training and response to sexual violence. Officers will also work with local high schools to educate, share resources and develop new strategies for youth.
Windsor police will develop a new online tool so survivors can report sexual assault in their own time and in privacy. Even if victims choose not to report the assault to police, they'll have access to resource materials and counselling services. It will receive $133,649.
A recent study by the Globe and Mail shows nearly one in five sexual assault claims in Canada are deemed unfounded by police. Windsor Police had the lowest rate in the country at just 3%, while in LaSalle, its two-thirds of complaints. The LaSalle Police Service has launched a review of its sexual assault investigations over the past four years.