Peterborough Police Service to Launch Community F.I.R.S.T. Program to Address Increasing Property Crime
/In response to increasing property crime in the city, Peterborough Police Service has announced the Community F.I.R.S.T. (Community-Focused Investigation & Response Support Team) program launching in January, announced on Thursday morning.
Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The program consists of four frontline officers to primarily address and investigate property crimes. The officers’s workload is generated through calls for service and reports made through the online reporting portal according to Chief Stuart Betts, Peterborough Police Service.
“This program is in response to what we have been hearing from the community for several years when it comes to property crimes,” he said. “We know property crimes have adverse effects on residents and business owners and we want to do a better job in responding to these types of calls.
Crimes to be investigated by the unit will include mischief, thefts, stolen property and shoplifting.
Over the past five years, Peterborough’s non-violent crime severity index, including property crimes, has increased just over 28 per cent. This increase is by far the highest of all comparator services according to the Peterborough Police.
“Our officers are busy responding to high-priority calls each and every day which means that these types of calls get lower priority,” Betts continued. “It is frustrating for victims of crime, and it is frustrating for our officers who want to serve the community. Each of us knows it’s what the community expects and deserves.”
Community F.I.R.S.T is a year-long pilot program, after which its effectiveness and sustainability will be assessed.
Our officers will wear high-visibility clothing, be deployed in pairs and conduct investigations related to break-and-enters, thefts, mischief and stolen property throughout Peterborough, Cavan-Monaghan, and Lakefield.
In the third quarter, the Peterborough Police Service received the following calls:
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