“Projects like MASST are at the heart of the Safe Communities initiative,” said Minister of Justice and Attorney General Alison Redford. “This is about addressing the root causes of crime, long before anyone ends up before the courts, or becomes a victim. This is about collaborating with our community partners to make a real difference for Alberta families.”

MASST will focus on risk factors that can make children vulnerable to criminal activity, both as perpetrators and victims. Risk factors include a lack of adult supervision, negative peer influences, alcohol and drug abuse and lack of attachment to the community.

“Addressing these particular risk factors is critical in preventing young people from going down the wrong path,” said Calgary Police Chief Rick Hanson. “If we provide children the necessary supports early enough, we can reduce the chance of them coming into contact with police when they get older.”

While the primary focus will be on children, the project also includes educating parents and inviting the family to participate in the process.

“This is a community approach that allows us to increase collaboration among police, the City of Calgary, schools and social agencies to identify and address these issues early, helping students get needed support” said Alberta Education Minister Dave Hancock. "Parent and family engagement is critical to a student's success and schools can play a key role in this program.”

Safe Communities is creating and supporting programs that address crime reduction through intervention, prevention and enforcement. The Multi-Agency School Support Team will receive funding of $1.47 million over three years. For more information on SafeCom, please visit http://www.safecommunities.gov.ab.ca.