Ontario will spend millions of dollars on a grant program allowing police forces to expand CCTV coverage.

A total of $6 million will be made available over three years.

Grants will cover 50 per cent of the costs associated with buying and installing the closed-circuit television cameras and supplies.

Municipal and First Nations police services and the Ontario Provincial Police can apply for funding starting Thursday.

The province says it’s part of a larger effort to combat gun and gang violence.

Premier Doug Ford says the government wants to ensure communities can recover from the pandemic without "fear of crime."