Hiring 200 OPP frontline officers to ensure communities remain safe while improving health and safety for our officers
Every day, Ontario’s police officers put their lives on the line and go above and beyond to serve and protect our communities. The COVID-19 emergency and recovery is a reminder of how much we rely on frontline workers, and why we need to look after their mental health and well-being.
To that end, our PC government today announced an investment of $25 million to hire 200 Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers. This new investment will provide the OPP with additional resources to better protect communities while safeguarding the mental health and well-being of their officers. The funding will fill vacancies where the need is greatest, in regions that are short staffed. This will provide much-needed support to our existing complement of officers and ensure public safety always comes first.
“Frontline police officers are always there when our communities need them and we have all witnessed their profound dedication to the public during the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Sylvia Jones, MPP for Dufferin-Caledon and Solicitor General. “As we continue to safely and gradually reopen the province and more people go back to work, these new frontline OPP officers will provide much-needed support to our existing complement of officers and ensure we keep our communities safe.”
This recruitment initiative responds to one of the key recommendations of the OPP Independent Review Panel’s final report to safeguard the health and wellness needs of the OPP workforce by addressing shortages in the workplace. This new support also builds on our recent investment of $2.6 million to hire additional OPP psychologists and other mental health workers.
Frontline police officers are leaders in their communities, and our government is determined to continue providing them with the supports, resources, and tools they need to do their jobs.