The Ontario government is investing over $12.3 million in Waterloo Regional Police Service over three years in an effort to improve community safety within Waterloo Region.
Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Mike Harris made the announcement Tuesday morning at police headquarters on Maple Grove Road.
The funding is part of Ontario's $267 million investment in the Community Safety and Policing (CSP) Grant Program for initiatives that help combat crime locally. WRPS is one of the 90 services receiving funding.
"The funding will support 147 safety initiatives focusing on local and provincial priorities such as gun and gang violence, sexual violence and harassment, human trafficking, mental health and addictions, and hate motivated crime," Harris said.
More specifically, $1.5 million will go towards the Gang and Hate Crime Intelligence and Enforcement Initiative, over $9.3 million towards the Community Engagement and Wellbeing Branch (CEWB) with the Crisis Call Diversion Program, and another $1.5 million for the police services board.
Harris added that many projects will be undertaken in collaboration with community partners and those may include deploying additional front-line police officers when and where they are needed most.
Region of Waterloo Chair Karen Redman was also in attendance for the announcement alongside Kitchener Mayor Barry Vrbanovic, Cambridge Mayor Kathryn McGarry, and Waterloo Mayor Dave Jaworsky.
Chief of Police Bryan Larkin called the money a significant investment to providing effective policing services to the region.
"As we look at the last couple of years, the $12.3 million investment is key and something that we applied for," said Larkin. " I'd like to recognize MPP Harris' advocacy for our region."
Larkin, who announced his retirement from the force last week, said mental health calls will also be one of the main areas where the funding will be used.
"In the last 395 days, our members have responded and attended to 2,123 attempted suicide calls, an increase of 5.4 per cent year over year," he said.
Due to this, a large portion of the money will also support a new program through a pilot project in the service's communication centre.
A mental health clinician will be added to triage and manage all incoming mental health calls for service.
"We will be able to ensure that the individuals in need have the right access to the health care system," Larkin added. "With that mental health clinician, funded by a large portion of this investment, we hope to see a reduction of more than 20 per cent of demand on policing."
Harris added that WRPS has provided crucial crime prevention and community support to the Region of Waterloo throughout the challenges of the global pandemic, and they continue to show leadership in policing in Ontario and across Canada.
