'Coming back to bite us': London Police budget blamed for shift away from crime prevention
Responding to an onslaught of 9-1-1 calls is increasingly taking priority over efforts to prevent crime in London, Ont.
Police Chief Steve Williams warns that officers assigned to foot patrol and traffic division could be next for redeployment to frontline service, and that the previously redeployed Community Oriented Response (COR) Unit will not be reconstituted anytime soon.
“Hopefully we can restore the COR Unit, but to be honest I’m not hopeful that without additional resources we will stop the bleeding,” Chief Williams told the London Police Services Board.
The focus of the COR Unit was proactive policing including quick intervention to prevent escalation to more serious crimes.
In November, Chief Williams redeployed the COR Unit’s 14 officers to frontline service to address a steep rise in complex calls and investigations.
Response times to life-threatening Code 1 emergency calls had grown by 27 per cent, and police were taking 97 per cent longer to respond to Code 2 crimes in progress.
Non-emergency response times are now measured in days — not hours.
Next in line for redeployment, as a last resort, will be officers from foot patrol and traffic enforcement.
“They’re important to the community, and important to us, but these are officers we may need to redeploy in time if we don’t get relief elsewhere.”
On Thursday, a report to the London Police Services Board (LPSB) highlighting the many successes of the COR Unit in 2021 prompted calls for its return.
“I would encourage the board to look at this as a crisis,” said the LPSB’s new member Megan Walker.
Walker lamented the scaling back of proactive policing and early interventions that often prevent more serious crimes.
LPSB Member Jeff Lang pointed to years of police budgets approved by city council that failed to keep up with need in the community.
“This city is known for having one of the lowest per capita police costs of any city its size in Canada, and it’s coming back to bite us,” Lang said.
Chief Steve Williams told the board that eight new officers are completing their training, and more are studying at the police college, but those staffing gains may be offset by a what’s being described as a balloon of 30-year retirements.
A decision on the COR Unit will depend on call volumes in the spring and summer.
Concerned about shifting priorities from proactive crime prevention to reactive response to crimes that already occurred, the police board directed its finance committee to hold an emergency meeting with the chief to discuss options.
“Take a really serious look at how much money is needed, and what are our options to get it,” added Walker.
A date for that meeting has not been announced.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
'Tactical evacuations' underway near Fort Nelson, B.C., as wildfires encroach
The BC Wildfire Service says 'tactical evacuations' began Friday near Fort Nelson, B.C., due to an out-of-control wildfire that has grown rapidly since it was discovered earlier in the afternoon.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.