Halton police get $1M more than they asked for as budget increases by over 14%

Halton police will get one of the largest budget increases in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area in 2025 after council approved tens of millions of dollars in additional money including $1 million more than requested. 

Region of Halton council, comprised of mayors and councillors representing Burlington, Milton, Halton Hills and Oakville, approved the $29.2 million or 14.3 per cent police budget increase last week in a 15-9 vote. 

Halton region is among the safest municipalities in Canada and, in 2022, experienced its lowest crime rate since 1974, according to police data. 

But some elected officials voiced concern that crimes have become more violent and residents are afraid. 

Burlington Coun. Angelo Bentivegna said the region needs more police officers in order to stop increasingly "sophisticated" crimes. 

Oakville Mayor Rob Burton agreed. 

"Our community is under attack by ruthless, violent criminals ... who see us a crime vacation," said Burton.

"With this [budget] increase we will send a message to our residents that we understand that they expect us to defend them."

Police board chair Jeff Knoll, who is also an Oakville councillor, underscored that Halton is a safe region. But he told council police could use the extra money as they respond to more "tragic" mental health and domestic violence calls and are tracking a slight uptick in violent crime. He supported the increase.

Police asked for 13.25% more

Earlier this fall, Chief Stephen Tanner had requested what he described as a larger-than-normal increase of $28.2 million or 13.8 per cent. For 2024, the Halton police budget had increased by 9.5 per cent. 

The service will need to cover increased costs in 2025 related to staffing, collective bargaining agreements, technology and population growth, he said. It will also need to hire at least 26 new officers and 21 people for civilian roles.

After hours of deliberation in October, the police service board approved the 13.8 per cent increase.

Police had provided a "solid rationale" despite the "magnitude" of the increase, Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward told regional council on Dec. 11. 

But increasing the police budget by another half of a per cent — or $1 million — to hire 38 new officers sends the wrong message, Meed Ward said. People are experiencing homelessness, addiction, mental health challenges and among others that won't be solved by hiring more police officers. 

"We cannot arrest our way out of the social issues we face," she said.

"I would put a million more dollars into supportive housing in a heartbeat because we need upstream solutions." 

Halton Hills Mayor Ann Lawlor also voiced her opposition to giving police more money than they asked for when residents are already struggling with the high cost of living and other "spectacular" tax increases. 

And spending more money won't solve the issue of the province and federal government "ignoring" broader issues that are impacting crime in the region, Lawlor and other dissenting councillors said. 

Those problems include the epidemic in intimate partner violence, illegal guns and drugs being smuggled from the U.S., and repeat offenders being released on bail into the community. 

But Burlington Coun. Lisa Kearns, who sits on the police service board, defended the increase and said residents want more police officers on patrol. 

She pointed to several crimes that took place in her neighbourhood in recent weeks including a suspected arson at a plaza, temporarily shutting down five stores, attempted robberies at two convenience stores and a vehicle window smashed. 

"The ground is shifting beneath our feet," Kearns said.