Doug Currie
Attorney General

Working Toward the Safety and Security of Islanders

I am pleased to provide an outline of my department’s many accomplishments over the past two years. The Department of Justice and Public Safety provides a wide-range of programs and services in the areas of justice, public safety and consumer and corporate services.

One of our key responsibilities is policing in Prince Edward Island. Over the past two years we have made significant progress in improving policing resources. We have passed amendments to the new Police Act, have provided funding to fully operationalize Criminal Intelligence Service PEI, have established an annual Police Training Fund for municipal police service, and will soon be opening an Office of the Police Commissioner.

In the past year, we have moved forward with an expansion of our Provincial Correctional Centre. This improved capacity will help us safely serve the needs of our current and future inmate populations. We have also been investing in the professional development of our Community and Correctional Services staff.

We have also been developing new legislation to improve consumer and investor protections in Prince Edward Island. We proclaimed a new Securities Act in 2008, passed a new act to regulate Payday Lenders in 2009, and recently began consultations on gift card legislation. In addition, we have begun preparing a new Pension Benefits Act which will govern pension plans in the province.

The staff of my department continue to develop new procedures and systems to improve the administration of justice in the province. The Crown Attorney’s Office has recently completed a new Guidebook of Policies and Procedures for the Conduct of Criminal Prosecutions in Prince Edward Island. The guide book will be available on the Government of Prince Edward Island website in the near future. Judicial Services has completed a major upgrade of the computerized case management systems.

The Office of Public Safety is partnering with New Brunswick and Nova Scotia on a tri-province initiative to implement a single, shared public safety mobile radio communications system, which will be the first of its kind in Canada.  We also continue to explore ways to improve 911 service to Islanders.

The PEI Office of Public Safety is working to assist, advise and guide all Provincial Government Departments in the development of a standardized and documented business continuity management program and plan.

A new webpage www.peipublicsafety.ca gives Islanders a resource where users can learn more about the four pillars of emergency management: preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery. The website is updated daily with reports from the Fire Marshal’s Office, contains information on personal emergency preparedness, and even offers children’s activities such as colouring pages, puzzles and games to encourage the development of safety habits with younger Islanders.

The Department of Justice and Public Safety has achieved much in the past two years, and we will continue to work hard to ensure that all Islanders can live in safe and secure communities and have access to a justice system that inspires confidence.

Doug W. Currie
Minister of Justice and Attorney General