South Simcoe Police adopted its new Strategic Plan in 2018.
At the Sept. 23 meeting of the Police Services Board, Police Chief Andrew Fletcher provided an update, looking at both the goals and accomplishments to date.
There are four key “pillars” to the plan, Chief Fletcher told the Board, the first focusing on enforcement and safety.
It’s a broad category that includes strategies and action plans to deter criminal activity, improve traffic safety and enhance services to victims of crime.
That has included stepping up monitoring of offenders, including those on the Sex Offender Registry – a process that has already generated results. Of the 40 offenders who were checked as part of the new process, four were arrested for breach of conditions.
Traffic issues are always front and centre in South Simcoe, Fletcher noted. The Strategic Plan calls for selective traffic enforcement initiatives – “For example, our back-to-school ‘All Hands on Deck’ initiative,” said Chief Fletcher – as well as more frequent and less formal R.I.D.E. programs targeting impaired drivers.
Enhanced victim and vulnerable services through new programs and the Community Mobilization and Engagement Unit (CMEU), expanded crisis management training for staff, and enhanced partnerships that will improve resources and community safety are all underway.
The other three pillars are Communication and Outreach; Innovation; and Organizational Capacity – all leading to a more efficient, more responsive police service.
The goal is to move towards improved electronic communication, said Fletcher, for things like the daily “parade.” Using technology, it should be possible for one sergeant supervise both north and south Divisions, “not have to have two Sergeants, one in the north and one in the south,” he said.
Community outreach, through programs like the Citizens’ Police Academy, and public consultation “to make citizens aware of the work we’re doing… and safety issues,” are both continuing and expanding.
As for ‘Innovation,’ Fletcher said the goal is to “create a culture of continuous improvement,” and explore alternate methods of service delivery, through the use of new technologies like ‘Fingerprint LiveScan” for record checks.
It’s a four-year strategic plan, and some of the actions aren’t slated to be implemented until 2020, or beyond. The goal of instituting electronic ticketing, for example, will have to wait until the police service can find the reliable portable printers that can be installed in police cruisers.
And part of the plan to ensure “sustainability of technology infrastructure” includes a long-term plan for cell tower replacement.
Under Organizational Capacity, the Strategic Plan looks at succession planning and opportunities for advancement, both within the service and through secondment to outside agencies; staffing and workload analysis; and ways of attracting a skilled and education workforce – like the “Women in Policing” Symposium held on Aug. 14, which Fletcher called “a great initiative from staff.”
“We want to ensure we foster a sense of employee pride, well-being and inclusiveness,” said Fletcher.
Innisfil Mayor Lynn Dollin, a member of the board, asked if there were plans to implement the York Regional Police pilot project in the courts, that allows officers to live-stream video rather than attend in person.
“We’re looking at the technology,” said Fletcher, noting that “there’s definitely a willingness from the province right now, to enhance the technology.” South Simcoe Police “already have a meeting with the York (Regional Police) pilot team,” he said.
The Chief was also questioned about one of the targets within the Strategic Plan, that asks officers to issue one Provincial Offences Notice per shift.
It’s not a quota system, Fletcher was quick to state. “Our focus is on those traffic complaint zones,” he said; the requirement is mostly to ensure that in addition to issuing warnings, there is enforcement, to change behaviours.
Officers are asked to issue 12 Provincial Offences tickets, in 12 shifts – but can issue zero tickets in one shift, and two or three in another, “as long as it balances out,” said the Chief. “One ticket is not unreasonable.”
The strategic plan, with all of its goals and targets, is posted on the South Simcoe Police website.
“We are in the second year of a four-year plan,” said Fletcher, noting that some activities are still awaiting approvals. “Some put off to 2020, some put off to 2021, some are ongoing throughout.”