In communities across southern Ontario, the demands placed upon local police services continue to evolve, often in unpredictable ways. For the South Simcoe Police Service, responsible for safeguarding the towns of Innisfil and Bradford, this past March marked a significant, and perhaps concerning, milestone. The service experienced its busiest month on record, crossing a threshold previously unseen in its operational history, signalling a period that was undeniably record breaking busy for its officers.
The individuals tasked with maintaining peace and order in Innisfil and Bradford, the officers of the South Simcoe Police Service (SSPS), found themselves responding to an unprecedented volume of requests. Data presented by outgoing Deputy Chief Sheryl Sutton during an April police services board meeting painted a stark picture. In March 2024 alone, the service handled 3,069 calls for service. This figure represents not only a new monthly high but also a substantial increase from the 2,284 calls recorded in March of the previous year. This surge contributed to a notably busier start to the year overall, with preliminary figures showing roughly 1,400 more incidents handled in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
What confluence of events led to this remarkable spike in activity? Deputy Chief Sutton identified several key contributors. Persistent issues surrounding landlord and tenant disputes continued to demand significant police attention, rising to 41 incidents by the end of March this year, compared to 24 by the same point last year. Board Chair Chris Gariepy expressed concern that economic pressures could exacerbate this trend. Board member and Innisfil Mayor Lynn Dollin highlighted ongoing advocacy efforts aimed at addressing provincial Landlord and Tenant Board backlogs, acknowledging these disputes consume valuable police resources. Chief John Van Dyke noted these calls can take officers “a long time” to handle, diverting them from other duties. Police involvement, as Sutton clarified, is primarily focused on maintaining peace during these often complex civil matters.
The month of March 2024 presented additional distinct challenges. A notable increase in stolen vehicles occurred, with 14 reported thefts compared to just five in February. Sutton attributed this, in part, to the cyclical nature of auto theft, often involving organized groups travelling from the Greater Toronto Area. Furthermore, a significant ice storm swept through the region during the last weekend of March. This weather event alone generated 81 calls for a single platoon over a 12-hour shift, contributing to a rise in reported collisions (166 in March 2024 vs. 119 in March 2023) and creating what Sutton described as a somewhat “chaotic” situation on the roads.
This severe weather may have also indirectly impacted another area: mental health calls. Officers encountering individuals in crisis sometimes transport them to hospital, requiring them to wait until admission. March saw an unusually high average wait time of 4.7 hours at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) for such transfers, a figure Sutton called an “anomaly” compared to typical waits and the much shorter 1.3-hour average at Southlake Health that same month. While these specific pressures mounted, there were some positive counterpoints: thefts from vehicles and thefts under $5,000 were both tracking lower year-to-date compared to the previous year.
The record-breaking activity in March underscores the dynamic and often unpredictable nature of policing in growing communities like Innisfil and Bradford. It highlights how diverse factors – from socioeconomic pressures reflected in landlord-tenant disputes, to organized criminal activity like auto theft, severe weather events, and challenges within the broader healthcare system – converge to impact police operations and resources. The SSPS continues to navigate these complex demands, adapting to ensure community safety in an environment where the unexpected can quickly become the norm.
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South Simcoe police break record with busiest month ever in March
