The Halton police budget is increasing by 4.2 per cent in 2022, as the force adds 16 new officers and eight additional civilian members to its ranks.
The new officers –12 uniformed constables and four specialized officers for the homicide unit – will keep Halton’s ratio at 1.2 officers per 1,000 citizens, Halton police chief Stephen Tanner told regional councillors on Nov. 17.
The seven new civilian staff include four new 911 dispatch personnel and an additional full-time staff member to deal with employee wellness.
Along with enabling Halton to remain Canada’s safest large municipality, next year’s budget of nearly $176 million will equip the police service to address an increasing number of societal challenges, Tanner added.
“Ultimately, we are here to ensure every citizen of Halton is as safe as he or she can be,” he said.
While the region’s crime rate has decreased steadily since the 1970s, Tanner said that only about 20 per cent of what police do is crime-related.
Police responding to fentanyl overdoses, mental health calls
Fentanyl overdoses, mental illness incidents, and human trafficking are trending issues of major concern, said Tanner.
“There is increased criminality and victim abuse because of substance addiction,” he said.
By the end of October this year, Halton police were called to 138 opioid overdoses resulting in 27 deaths. The number of deaths in the region has more than doubled since 2019.
A “mental health epidemic” also has crisis calls trending up, said Tanner. Halton police have responded to more than 3,500 crisis calls so far in 2021. The service has four crisis teams consisting of an officer working alongside a trained mental health worker.
Tanner described intimate partner violence numbers as “increasingly alarming.” In 2021, officers have attended 3,300 calls and laid about 1800 charges.
He added that criminal activity is becoming increasingly sophisticated, with province-wide gangs and organized crime groups operating in the region.
Along with population growth in Halton, other costs driving up the budget include salary and benefit increases and investments in technology.
In 2022, the cost per taxpayer for the police service will be $276.
The Halton Police Services Board approved the police budget on Oct. 28.
Regional budget to be released Nov. 26
Halton regional councillors also received budget updates from Conservation Halton and the Grand River Conservation Authority in preparation for the region’s 2022 budget process.
Halton taxpayers will be responsible for $9.5 million – or 88 per cent of Conservation Halton’s annual budget – a portion that reflects the percentage of the watershed included in the municipality.
As well, the regional budget will include $304,590 for the Grand River Conservation Authority – roughly 2.4 per cent of that organization’s $12.5 million levy for 2022.
The region’s 2022 budget will be made available online as of Nov. 26, with council approval planned for Dec. 15.