The Manitoba government is seeking the public's input on proposed measures to combat rural crime through a new online questionnaire, Justice Minister Cliff Cullen announced this afternoon.

Rural crime in Manitoba encompasses all crime outside of the City of Winnipeg and, in 2017, the rural overall crime rate was 42 percent higher than its urban counterpart, while the rural property crime rate was 5 percent higher than that of the city. Cullen says the government has taken notice and is taking action.

He explains the province is considering whether to adopt legislation from other provinces to improve trespassing and occupiers' liability laws and discourage stolen metal sales, the theft of which has recently become an issue, impacting various industries across the province. Changes could include amendments to The Petty Trespass Act, to ensure the law is easier to enforce and to prevent confrontations between landowners and trespassers, as well as amendments to the Occupiers Liability Act to ensure a landowner's legal responsibility for injury is fair and reasonable when someone is on their property without permission.

Manitoba Justice will also engage with several key stakeholders about proposed changes, including law enforcement agencies, municipalities, agricultural organizations, business groups and Indigenous leadership.

Cullen adds amendments to the Animal Disease Act are also being considered. Manitobans are invited to provide feedback on potential legislation that would enhance bio-security and reduce hazards at food production premises with livestock or other animals.

Cullen notes the government has been allocating more money into policing and public safety strategies in recent years and they're seeing results.

"One result, in fact, is our investment in our crime reduction teams," illustrates Cullen. "We now have three teams in each of the three regions the RCMP serves in Manitoba. These crime reduction teams go to specific hotspots where there's criminal activity, whether it be drugs or thefts, and we've been able to really make a lot of apprehensions. So, very positive results in the last six months since those teams have been established."

You can provide feedback until October 31st, by clicking here.