Despite staffing issues, local police are doing the best they can to tackle a variety of issues in Bradford and Innisfil.
South Simcoe Police Service Deputy Chief Sheryl Sutton presented the operational update for May during the police services board meeting at the South Division building in Bradford on June 26.
Enforcement of provincial offence notices such as traffic tickets were “down significantly” to 2,881 so far this year by the end of May compared to 4,063 by the same time last year, according to Sutton.
Chief John Van Dyke explained that’s partially a result of a vacancy in the traffic unit, while the remaining officers are also busy with ongoing investigations into three fatalities so far this year as a result of motor vehicle collisions.
The traffic unit isn’t the only one stretching its resources though, as the chief explained the community mobilization and engagement unit is currently down three officers, from eight to just five, which is one of the reasons residents may not see as many officers patrolling by bicycle or by foot.
“We just don’t have the staff,” Van Dyke said, but added the bicycle patrol has been out three times so far this year.
Bradford Mayor James Leduc had raised the issue of foot and bicycle patrols because “it’s a great element of community policing,” and while he agreed, the chief explained that both Bradford’s and Innisfil’s populations are “growing substantially,” and even with efforts underway to hire the eight additional constables approved in the service’s 2024 budget, local police will still have the lowest “cop per pop” ratio in the province.
“We need more officers plain and simple,” board chair Chris Gariepy said.
As part of Bradford’s ongoing growth management plan, Leduc said he would speak to staff about including provisions to increase funding for police and other emergency services.
In the meantime, the service recently launched their online reporting tool which allows residents to report minor, non-emergency incidents “from the comfort of your own home,” which he expects will help save the service time and money while providing the community with more options.
“It’s terrific,” Gariepy said. “It’s the way policing has to go.”
Todd Canning, vice-chair, called the program “excellent,” and a method to “take some of the pressures off some of our staffing issues.”
In addition to the continuing issue of shoplifting discussed at the last meeting, Sutton also identified other ongoing trends, including a “spree” of thefts from automobiles in Bradford in May, which led the street crime unit to arrest and charge one person known to police, who is allegedly dealing with an addictions issue.
Another repeat offender, so to speak, involved a student around the age of five, who left school three times, resulting in them being reported missing multiple times.
Collisions
According to the report, May 2024 saw 130 motor vehicle collisions — a decrease from the 138 in May last year — with 68 in Bradford and 62 Innisfil. Of those, 112 resulted in property damage, 11 involved a hit and run and six resulted in injury.
There were two fatal collisions reported in May, bringing the total to three so far in 2024.
Locations along Holland Street West continued to be common spots for collisions in Bradford, with 13 reported, and in Innisfil, Innisfil Beach Road continued to have the most collisions with 10.
Collisions are listed based on nearby intersections and addresses, and may not have occurred at those exact locations.
Hoping to prevent collisions and other issues before they can arise, local police also partnered with Ontario Provincial Police and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation to conduct a commercial vehicle blitz in Bradford on May 8.
Through that, 20 vehicles were inspected, nine were pulled out of service, more than 29 charges were laid, and two sets of plates were removed and returned to the ministry.
The chief explained that “every time” they participate a commercial vehicle blitz, between 40 to 50 per cent of vehicles inspected are pulled out of service for failing to meet requirements.
May Breakdown
The report showed 2,601 calls for service in May 2024, about a nine-per-cent decrease from the 2,867 calls in May 2023.
This May saw 51.29 per cent in Innisfil, where Patrol Zone B was busiest and 48.71 per cent in Bradford where Patrol Zones E and D were busiest.
Patrol Zone B is in Innisfil east of Sideroad 10 between Line 5 and Line 9, while Patrol Zone E is in Bradford from Holland Street south, and Patrol Zone D is in Bradford from Holland Street north.
As is usual, only 46 of May’s calls for service were the highest priority.
There were some areas in which calls increased in May 2024 compared to May 2023, including:
- Thefts from vehicles increased to 12 from three
- Shoplifting increased to 21 from 11
- Assaults increased to 20 from 15
- Impaired increased to 26 from 23
Frauds held steady at 32, as did commercial break and enters at one, while landlord disputes were up only slightly to 21 from 19 and domestic incidents saw an even smaller bump to 70 from 69.
However, there were other areas in which calls decreased in May 2024 compared to May 2023, including:
- Provincial offence notices decreased to 400 from 736
- Robberies decreased to zero from two
- Mental health calls decreased to 17 from 26
- Vehicles stolen decreased to eight from 10
Crisis Calls
Crisis calls increase slightly in May to 46, compared to 42 in April, with 14 of May’s calls handled by the Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COAST), while 32 were handled by front-line officers.
Sutton had previously explained the number of calls handled by front-line officers came down to timing, with many crisis calls coming in at times when crisis workers weren’t available.
However, that is expected to change following the May 3 announcement that the service’s COAST community partners are set to provide an additional 2,420 hours of support.
That’s thanks to $117,865 in funding the province provided in October through the Mobile Crisis Response Team Enhancement (MCRT) grant.
While 22 of May’s calls resulted in people being taken to hospital, 24 were diverted. Of those who were taken to hospital, six went voluntarily.
The average wait times for officers offloading patients at Barrie's Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre decreased to 1.6 hours in May from 2.1 hours in April, while times at Newmarket's Southlake Regional Health Centre decreased to 1.2 hours from 1.4 hours in April.
Sutton called those wait times the “lowest I’ve seen,” with Gariepy responding in one word, “wow.”
Under certain circumstances, officers who encounter people in crisis may take them to hospital for assessment, but must remain with them until they are admitted.
