South Simcoe police aim to add 9 new officers, 3 civilian staffers in 2025

Much like almost everything else, the cost of policing is set to increase next year for Bradford and Innisfil.

For 2025, the police services board approved a combined budget of about $29.85 million for South Simcoe Police Service (SSPS), during their meeting on Nov. 27 at Innisfil Town Hall.

That includes a capital budget of about $1.85 million and an operating budget of about $27.99 million, which are increases of roughly $400,000 and $2.7 million respectively, and a total of about 11.6 per cent more than the service’s roughly $26.74-million 2024 budget.

“It is a big number and it’s going to be hard to fit into our budgets, but (we’re) recognizing that it’s necessary,” Innisfil Mayor Lynn Dollin said.

She called the 2025 increase “bare-bones” in light of the news that contract costs are leading Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) to present municipalities with increases ranging from 20 to 30 per cent or more, including Orillia facing 25 per cent, Midland facing 26 per cent, and Collingwood facing 37 per cent.

Board chair Chris Gariepy was sympathetic and thanked the chief and command staff for all their work assembling the budget.

“It’s a very difficult time of year for the service and it’s difficult for municipalities too,” he said.

Among other things, the SSPS increase is expected to help cover the cost of hiring nine new officers and three new civilian staff.

That’s in addition to the eight new officers and three civilian staff included in the 2024 budget, as at the time, the service reportedly had only 113 officers per 100,000 population compared to the provincial average of 176 and the national average of 183.

The annually updated cost-sharing agreement between the two municipalities remains largely the same as last year with a split of about 47/53 per cent for Bradford and Innisfil, respectively.

For 2025, that would work out to about $15.86 million for Innisfil and $13.99 million for Bradford.

That’s slightly more than the $13.2 million estimated in Bradford’s 2025 draft budget, which could require the town to increase the tax levy more than the 2.7 per cent bump already expected, or transfer funding from other areas, such as its automated speed enforcement program, which was already set to help offset the estimated increase.

While specifics of the service’s budget weren’t discussed or included as part of the board meeting, Chief John Van Dyke is expected to provide detailed presentations to Innisfil council as part of the town’s budget deliberations on Dec. 4, and to Bradford council on Dec. 17.