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Published on June 10, 2024 • Last updated 5 minutes ago • 3 minute read
Cornwall Police graph from its 2023 annual report detailing the rise in youth crime. Handout/Cornwall Standard Freeholder/Postmedia Network jpg, CO, apsmc
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Chief of Police Shauna Spowart presented and discussed the wide-ranging findings of the recently published 2023 CPS Annual Report at the Police Service Commission meeting.
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The report shared statistics and insights used to inform best practices, an example of which is analyzing incident/call volumes to inform shift schedules. CPS reported a 37% decrease in overnight priority calls and adjusted accordingly. Calls for service in 2023 totaled 22,331, the highest in the past five years.
Cornwall Police chart from its 2023 annual report comparing priority calls and incidents by time of day. Handout/Cornwall Standard Freeholder/Postmedia Network jpg, CO, apsmc
“An outcome of the resource allocation project was the implementation of a pilot patrol shift schedule,” the report states. “This rotation supplemented the existing patrol rotation by deploying senior constables during the busiest months (May to September) and times (10am to 6pm). A notable outcome of this rotation was improved response times for all priority calls within CPS.”
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Other key statistics discussed by Spowart included that Vulnerable Sector Mobile Acute Response Teams (VSMART) responded to 407 call-outs in 2023, the majority of which were mental health-related, an increase of 20% over the past six years, and that the CPS Vulnerable Persons Register has increased to include 81 names. The tool, which members of the public are encouraged to register, collects data on vulnerable people in the community to better inform officers about these particular vulnerable people and how best to approach them in times of crisis.
Overall, the report predicts that 4,460 criminal charges will be filed in 2023, a 22 percent increase over 2022. Juvenile crime is also on the rise, according to the report, with 583 incidents in 2023, an 11 percent increase over 2022. Looking more closely at the statistics, there are significant (at least 100 percent) increases in assaults on police officers, non-consensual distribution of intimate images, arson, theft over $5,000 (organized crime), and impaired driving (drugs).
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There will be 1,291 motor vehicle accidents in 2023, a 9% increase, including two fatal accidents in which police were called.
Spowart outlined a number of actions being taken in 2023 that align with CPS’ four strategic priorities: community engagement, organizational excellence, crime reduction and community safety, and equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).New initiatives for 2023 include hiring a full-time human trafficking trauma therapist, increasing the number of employees undergoing crisis intervention training, utilizing in-car cameras (ICC) and automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) programming, other equipment upgrades, and forming an EDI committee.
Spowart also noted that the number of CPS employees has increased by 19, according to the report.
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“We have had several officers absent due to WSIB-related issues which has forced us to increase staffing to serve the needs of the community,” she said.
The report highlighted grant funding received by Ontario's Ministry of the Attorney General throughout the year and thanked Nolan Quinn, provincial member of parliament for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry, for his advocacy efforts.
“Our challenge in this region is whether we can have the resources to support this (progress through grant funding),” Spowart said. “Right now we're on the right path to get there, but the roadblock for us isn't funding, it's having the resources to carry out all of the great programs that have been supported.”
Email: shoneill@postmedia.com
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