Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) yesterday announced that the Durham Regional Council has approved a 4.54 per cent increase for policing in the the 2022 regional budget.
The DRPS budget is part of the regional tax base.
This increase will be used to cover an increase in salary and benefits costs as well as a variety of strategic operational priorities, said a police statement.
Staffing costs are the highest component of the DRPS budget accounting for approximately 80 per cent in people costs (salary and benefits). Some 20 is allocated for other expenses, such as debt services, capital, maintenance, computer operations and materials.
DRPS said the average homeowner in Durham pays $75 a month for policing, which includes everything from emergency response to law enforcement, and crime prevention to victim support.
It pointed out that when compared to the population growth in Durham, the police budget and staffing levels have not followed the same path.
It said the 2022 budget is providing funding for a number of key strategic operational priorities, as well as:
- The addition of 20 new front-line police officers; and
- Nine additional communicators and one supervisor for 911 and police dispatch.
DRPS said its strategic operational priorities are:
Crisis Call Diversion: A Crisis Call Diversion Program will be created, which embeds mental health and addictions workers in 911 Communications. This program helps DRPS determine the most appropriate response to calls from individuals experiencing a mental health or addictions crisis, which may include diversion to appropriate mental health services.
Body-Worn Cameras: This funds the second of a three-year program to provide training and body-worn cameras to all our frontline members. Body-worn camera footage provides valuable insight that can legitimize officer-public interactions, provide evidence in court, or offer an unbiased alternative to allegations of misconduct. For more information on this program, click here.
Mental Health Support Unit (MHSU): Three new mental health response officers will be created to support a 24/7 mobile crisis response team. The MHSU is a secondary response unit, providing support to front-line officers in supporting those in mental health crisis. To learn more about the Mental Health Support Unit, click here.
Cybercrime Unit: The budget allows for the creation of a new unit to focus on the ever-changing and growing category of cybercrime.