York Regional Police (YRP) will add 41 new members to its service this year after York Regional Council approved its $391.5-million net operating budget.
The budget represents a 3.9 per cent year-over-year increase and will allow YRP to “continue to deliver nationally recognized crime prevention and law enforcement programs as well as specialized, in-depth investigations,” says Jeffrey Channell, YRP’s executive director of Financial Services.
The new members will help YRP meet “growth demands” and “workload pressures while maintaining quality service levels,” he says. “These additional members will address combating serious and violent crimes and support organizational transformation with a continued focus on safer communities.”
The net operating budget includes operating and capital budgets. The latter budget of $32.6 million will cover technological innovations in the Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS) and Connected Officer projects, as well as vehicle replacement, facilities renovations and the annual purchase of specialized equipment.
Under the DEMS, YRP purchased in-car cameras and implemented a cloud-based system to better manage, review and share digital evidence with the courts during the disclosure process. Through its Connected Officer program, members use tablets to connect to the 9-1-1 Call Centre, access information and capture critical information such as e-Notes, witness statements and digital evidence.
“We are proud to be one of Canada’s safest communities while maintaining the lowest gross cost per capita among our comparators,” Chief Jim MacSween says. “We are committed to the safety and security of our residents and we recognize we must operate in a fiscally-sustainable manner.”
