Drug, property, and violent crime have been targeted as the three areas of focus by the Orillia Police Services Board, which will help inform the Orillia OPP’s new three-year action plan to guide local policing priorities through 2025.
Formed in conjunction with the Orillia Police Services Board and consultation with members of the public at a forum June 15, the priorities line up with crime trends in recent years, OPP officials say.
Staff Sgt. Brent Elbers, the Orillia OPP detachment’s operations manager, said both violent crime and property crime have increased since 2020.
“In reviewing our data over the last three years, violent crime remained at similar levels for 2020 and 2021, but increased in 2022,” he told OrilliaMatters in a statement. “Property crime levels remained consistent from 2021 to 2022, but overall has moderately risen since 2020.”
Drug enforcement, Elbers said, has been set as a priority due to the “impacts that illegal drugs have in the community.”
In a motion passed June 15, the police board said it hopes to see prevention and education initiatives carried out to reduce drug crime, and a focus on domestic violence, assault, and weapons for violent crime.
The board’s hope for property crime is to address theft, fraud, mischief, and breaking and entering occurrences.
“Based on these priorities, the Orillia OPP will perform focused patrols in areas known to be an issue based on calls for service and officer observations,” said Elbers.
“In addition to these front-line responses to drug and violent crime, the Orillia OPP will focus on education initiatives delivered through social media, in collaboration with our media partners and in-person to increase awareness and prevention of property crime occurrences," Elbers said.
Beyond direct crime enforcement, the board endorsed other priorities for the OPP action plan, some of which are as follows:
- Focusing on distracted driving, impaired driving, seatbelts, and aggressive driving;
- Reducing vehicular noise on roadways;
- Increasing police visibility in the community, as well as on roadways, parks, trails, and waterways; and more
In forming the action plan, Elbers said public input on local priorities was a key part of the process.
“Public input is very important in setting these priorities,” he said. “We appreciate and rely on the contributions of our community members. Anyone with any information about criminal activity is asked to please contact the Orillia OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers to remain anonymous at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).”
Mayor Don McIsaac said there were a number of “compassionate” speakers at the June 15 public forum.
“They had common themes in some cases, but we took those themes and were able to … report those to the detachment commander, and they were included in the action plan,” he told OrilliaMatters.
“We're focusing on key priorities like drug crime, violent crime, and property crime — those are important things that Orillians tell us. When I walk the streets or bump into people, those are the things they bring up.”
McIsaac said the Orillia OPP brings “first-rate” service to the community, but added there are always ways to improve.
“They've got very dedicated men and women who really care about Orillia. They work very hard to make sure that ... needs are looked after, but like anything, you can always improve, no matter how good something is,” the mayor said.
“I don't think the (Orillia OPP) is any exception. There are things we can look at. We're focusing on these issues that will help improve our service to the citizens of Orillia.”
