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New Initiatives to Combat Transborder Crime Announced
April 8, 1997
Washington, D.C.
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien announced today that Canada
and the United States will launch new initiatives to increase
cooperation against transborder crime.
"We will broaden our joint efforts to protect the most vulnerable
people in society -- the young and the elderly," said the
Prime Minister following his meeting with U.S. President Bill
Clinton in Washington. "We want to ensure the border is not
a barrier behind which criminals can hide."
The new measures include:
Increased cooperation to locate missing and abducted children.
A working group, including the U.S. National Centre for Missing
and Exploited Children and Canada's "Our Missing Children
Program", has been set up to ensure law enforcement agencies
in both countries are able to help recover missing and abducted
children. Under the Canadian program, some 500 youths have been
reunited with their families, nearly half of them American citizens;
A binational law enforcement working group to combat crossborder
telemarketing fraud. Telemarketing fraud preys especially on the
elderly in Canada and the U.S. Law enforcement agencies are to
report back within six months on joint progress in fighting this
type of crime;
A Canada-U.S. consultative mechanism on criminal justice and law
enforcement. This high level policy group would prompt government
action on problems and pinpoint new issues that must be dealt
with cooperatively; and
Joint discussions between Canadian and U.S. working groups on
cross-border smuggling and law enforcement, an initiative of Solicitor
General Herb Gray and U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno. The first
meeting of this joint group will be held in Windsor, Ontario in
late spring and will involve the U.S. Northeast Border Working
Group and the recently-formed Canadian Anti-Smuggling Coordinating
Group.
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PMO Press Office: (613) 957-5555
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