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Halton Regional Police Headquarters
The cost of policing is set to jump by $17.8 million next year, after the Halton Police Services Board unanimously approved a 2024 police budget with a 9.5 per increase.
Hiring 49 new officers and 24 new civilian staff will drive the budget up to $203.8 million for next year. But the additional people are necessary to cover the needs of the growing region, according to Halton police chief Stephen Tanner.
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Half of the new officers will be deployed to front-line policing duties, while the others will investigate homicide and attempted murder cases, organized crime and cyber crime.
The new civilian members will work in communications and analytics, including five new 911 dispatch positions.
The budget increase is millions higher than the guideline set by the Region of Halton, which pays for policing. In July, as part of its budget guidelines report, the region directed the police to cap its increase at 5.7 per cent.
Despite that, regional councillors will have little recourse in December, when they officially receive the budget and its nearly double-digit increase in spending.
Under Ontario’s Police Services Act, the seven-member Halton Police Services Board is responsible for the "provision of adequate and effective police services" in the region.
Regional councillors have no ability to amend a budget approved by the board. Provincial rules do allow them to reject a proposed budget, but the police board could then appeal that decision to the Ontario Civilian Police Commission.
The police board is composed of three Halton regional councillors, three members appointed by the province and one civilian member. It is chaired by Oakville’s Ward 5 town and regional councillor Jeff Knoll.
At its Oct. 26 meeting, the police board approved the 2024 budget, with Knoll describing it as "responsible."
"I think that our community – more than ever since I've been on council for 23 years and on the police board for 12 years – is really crying out for more resources," he said. "They want to see the uptick in crime dealt with, and I think this is a responsible budget to get us part of the way there."
With Halton facing rapid growth over the next decade, Knoll said adding more officers is a priority.
"In order to be ready to deal with that we have to start today, because we will be way behind the eight-ball if we delay hiring at all."
In a budget presentation, the board heard that the staffing increase will give the force 1.24 officers per 1,000 citizens, the lowest "cop per pop" ratio of the 12 largest police forces in Ontario.
Some of the need for new officers is due to the number of officers who are “not deployable” because they are off sick, on leave or modified duties, said deputy police chief Roger Wilkie.
According to statistics he presented, 19 of the Oakville district’s 163 officers – or 11.6 per cent – are not available to work front line duties.
"The reality is that with those who are left to do the job function, we are getting to a point where we are seeing burnout," he said, adding that the service is seeing morale issues and officers not signing up for overtime shifts.
The planned spending jump in 2024 comes on the heels of a police budget increase of 5.7 per cent in 2023.
