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2 BNEWS AVID LEA lea@metroland.com Thursday, December 15, 2022 | 2o 2 e budget, which must = still be approved by the £ Halton Police Board and g@ the Halton Region, would © represent a 5.7 per cent in- crease from the previous budget. Of that proposed in- crease, 2.1 per cent was at- tributed to compensation, 1.8 per cent to staffing in- crease costs, 0.7 per cent to benefits, 0.3 per cent to technology costs, 0.3 cent to "all other costs,” 0.6 per cent to the new Halton Hills police station, and 0.4 per cent to cybersecurity costs. The matter was briefly discussed during a meet- of the Halton Police as the board members had been given little time to re- view budget documents, they voted to defer consid- eration to a future meet- ing. Board member Curt Al- len ee on police to em- phasize in their budget presentation how the in- crease they are requesting is going to address the board's priorities around eri Haiton police Chief Ste- phen Tanner noted ina re- port to the board that when growth projections are taken into account, the 2023 funding request actu- ally represents an - crease of four per cent when compared to the 2022 budget. He said significant driv- ers impacting the 2023 budget include: + Staffi needs to maintain focus on front- line policing service levels flecting emerging trends and continued growth in demand for policing ser- . Upcoming contractne- tiations. + Increased fuel costs and increased construe. tion costs for the Hal- ton Hills police station due to inflation. + Enhanced cybersecur- ity’ investment are continuously aware of the board's objec- tive to demonstrate pru- dent use of taxpayer dol- lars while recognizing the need to provide adequate and effective police servic- es for Halton region," said Tanner in the report. "The challenge for the board and management remains in balancing the need to service an ever- growing community and to respond to changes in service and merging trends, i HALTON POLICE PROPOSING $186M BUDGET FOR 2023 Graham Paine/Metroland Halton police chief Stephen Tanner has set out next year's police budget. sponsible request for re- sources and funding. We ing re request achieves this proposing to add 20 sworn officer positions and five civilian positions in the coming yea! They also want to con- vert one part-time civilian Position fo full time. 2021 Statistics Canada 1 report found Hal- ton continues to be one of the safest communities in Canada, police reported a 30.5 per cent increase in Halton's crime rate during the first six months of 2022. Much of that increase was chalked up to crime returning to pre-pandemic levels; however, Tanner acknowledged ome crimes such as robberies, sexual assaults, extortion and vehicle thefts are oc- curring more frequently. The next Halton Police Board meeting is sched- uled for Dec. 22; however, board chair Jeff Knoll not- eet could be called to discuss the budget if needed. The police budget is not expected to come before the region for approval un- Board on Nov.10; however, and programs while re- maintaining a fiscally re- _ believe that the 2023 fund- ane ‘police service is til January. - crlzen? a) KID = Annual Corn ¥ -—— Puzzies for children and the young at heart! 5 =- Festival - : August 6th and The A R Chi dy to Serve theifp.ca 7th, 2022 11-5 pm le Factc ory YOUR countayE GROCERY STORE & HOME OF THE FRESH BAKED PIES * Bakeshop « Butcher shop « Fruits & Veggies * Pure Honey « Maple Syrup * Gourmet Products + Fudge ¢ Preserves * Cider * Apple Butter n/Ribs/Salads/Sandwiches COUNTRY CRAFTS AND MUCH MORE We Look Forward to Serving You Corer of Bovaird Drive & Mississauga Rd, Brampton www.applefactory.com | 905-846-3715 Going from 1 to 18 in order, find your way through the maze to the en Find your way through the tunnels to get to the worm.