Police initiatives like civilian data entry and the “lock it or lose it” campaign have contributed to an overall decrease in certain criminal activity throughout the county.
That was the message the OPP’s Jack Hunjan brought to Puslinch council last week. He noted that after a spike in 2007, the OPP has seen a steady decrease in the number of calls it receives.
In Puslinch, which accounts for about 9% of the OPP’s call volume, police data shows there was a slight increase in violent crime, including assault and sexual assaults.
But traffic collisions and property crime – the latter thanks in large part to the lock it or lose it campaign – have steadily declined since 2006. And impaired driving, after a spike in 2008, was down significantly last year.
Hunjan presented council with the OPP’s 16-page business plan for 2010 and asked coucillors if there are any issues in particular they feel police should focus on in 2011.
Councillor Susan Fielding said traffic and the number of vehicular accidents, many of which can be attributed to excessive speed, are two major issues in Puslinch. She noted there have already been three fatal accidents in the township already this year.
However, Hunjan said there have been two fatalities on Puslinch roads in 2010, and for all of Wellington County, that number has declined from 12 in 2009 to four this year.
Councillor Don McKay congratulated the OPP for its work in the township and wondered if police could help speeding on Highway 6, though he noted the Ministry of Transportation may ultimately hold the solution.
Hunjan explained the OPP has been informed local municipalities may benefit from new “state-of-the-art, electronic speed signs that have computers and store lots of useful data.
He also noted that using civilians to enter OPP data is “making a huge impact” in putting more officers on the road.
