CALGARY -- Ottawa is giving Alberta's 'Internet Child Exploitation' units an injection of cash.

Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair made the announcement Tuesday, saying that  Calgary and Edmonton police will receive a total of $1.2 million over two years to increase their investigative capacity.

It will be used to boost their ability to prevent online child sexual exploitation and to identify perpetrators.

The announcement came as Blair said cases of these types are on the rise.

"In Alberta and elsewhere, we have seen disturbing increases in suspected cases of online child sexual exploitation since the beginning of the pandemic," Blair said, in a release. "In the first 10 months of 2020, the southern Alberta Internet child exploitation unit, or ICE, has already counted 930 cases and opened files of child sexual abuse."

The funding will also be used to improve the ability of Alberta police to share information on investigations with other units across Canada.