The Ontario Civil Remedies Act is contradicting the old saying that crime doesn’t pay. It is paying but, to the criminals’ misfortune, it’s paying police in their ongoing battle against them, including the police forces in Shelburne and Orangeville.

The act, which constitutes Ontario’s civil forfeiture law, allows the Attorney General to ask a civil court for an order to freeze, take possession of and forfeit property that is determined to be a proceed or an instrument of unlawful activity.

Nearly $100,000 of the $2.2 million seized throughout Ontario has been directed toward Orangeville’s acquisition of a $50,000 canine police vehicle. The Shelburne Police Service is receiving $48,165 to purchase a special service vehicle equipped with an in-car camera system.

“With the in-car camera system, we can capture (in video) evidence from the vehicle stop right through to the arrest,” Shelburne Police Chief Kent Moore told an Aug. 26 press conference at the Orangeville Police Service building.

Orangeville Police Chief Joe Tomei said the canine vehicle enhances “the ability of the Orangeville Police Service ... to provide effective rescue assistance and search- es for evidence at crime scenes.”

The new vehicle, an SUV, is expected to be in service in about a month. It replaces a 2005 Crown Victoria cruiser currently used by the canine unit.

The press conference was also attended by David Zimmer, Liberal MPP for Willowdale and Parliamentary assistant to Attorney General Chris Bentley. “Policing is very difficult and both Chris Bentley and (Premier) Dalton McGuinty appreciate everything they are doing,” he said at the press conference, adding that the Civil Remedies Act “is trying to make things easier for them.”

Under the act, the Attorney General has up to 15 years after a conviction to launch a proceeding to have property used in an unlawful act forfeited. Since it is considered a civil action, it need only be shown on a balance of probabilities, rather than beyond reasonable doubt, that there was a strong probability such property was either a proceed or an instrument of a criminal act.

“Other jurisdictions are looking to Ontario,” Mr. Zimmer said. “It’s a very effective piece of legislation.”

Shelburne Mayor Ed Crewson expressed the need for the vehicle which the town’s police service will be acquiring, particularly during the summer tourist months.

“Any weekend, 53,000 cars pass through Shelburne,” Mayor Crewson told the press conference. “Those travellers are often already beginning to celebrate their weekend.”