Bradford and Innisfil are seeing fewer police chases, despite an increase in calls for service.
South Simcoe Police Service Deputy Chief Sheryl Sutton presented the service’s annual report on pursuits of suspects in motor vehicles, as part of the police services board meeting at the South Division building in Bradford on Feb. 12.
According to the report, the police engaged in seven pursuits in 2024, a decrease from 15 the previous year, despite 2024 seeing a record number of calls for service for the second year in a row.
“It speaks to our officers and their training,” Sutton said. “Obviously, public safety is paramount in these situations.”
In 2024, local police aborted all seven pursuits for public safety reasons, and none of those pursuits resulted in collisions or injuries.
“We know who you are; we’re not going to put the public at risk,” Sutton said. “We’ll just come and knock at your door at a later date.”
The 2024 pursuits include four to address Criminal Code offences, three for Ontario Highway Traffic Act violations, two of suspicious vehicles to prevent auto theft, one for a suspected impaired driver who avoided a Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) check and one of a vehicle fleeing after a break and enter.
After that last incident and through follow-up investigations with local and Quebec police services, the suspect was identified, and a warrant was issued which includes eight Criminal Code charges to be laid once the suspect is located and the warranted executed, according to the report.
In addition to the eight charges from the one incident in February, police also laid four charges under the Provincial Offences Act, also in February, for a total of 12 charges in 2024, a decrease from 18 in 2023.
The report does not list any arrests as a result of pursuits in 2024, which is also a decrease from four in 2023.
Under the Community Safety and Policing Act, which came into effect on April 1 last year, there are specific circumstances under which officers can engage in a pursuit.
Similar to the prior Police Services Act, those include whether a criminal offence has been or is about to be committed, identifying a vehicle or occupant, whether there are no other alternatives, and if the need to pursue outweighs the risk to public safety.
According to the report, all officers undergo theoretical and practical pursuit training while attending the Ontario Police College and are required to take a refresher course every two years. While “most” police services do this in class, South Simcoe provides both in-class and practical training on a closed course when available.
The last time the service provided refresher training was in fall 2023, which was theory only.