TORONTO, Ont. – The Ontario government will be spending $20-million on programs aimed at preventing youth and gun crime.

The Liberals said the money will go to expanding youth summer job programs and adding more youth outreach workers.

Community Safety Minister Madeleine Meilleur said her ministry will be working with Toronto police and Crime Stoppers to increase the number of guns they take off the streets.

“We are working with Crime Stoppers to double the rewards to people who submit tips that get guns off the streets, and working with the Toronto Police Service a program that encourages people to turn in their guns to police,” Meilleur said.

The government said it will also make funding permanent for initiatives that target illegal gangs, drugs and weapons in communities.

Meilleur said crime prevention is a critical part of the youth action plan because it stops bad choices before they’re made.

The government’s youth action plan comes in the wake of the deadly shooting at a community barbecue on Danzig Street in Toronto in July, which killed two people and injured more than 20 others.

The incident galvanized federal, provincial and municipal leaders, who have vowed to do what they can to stop gun violence.