Regional police seeks board approval for proposed $214M operating budget for 2023

Waterloo Regional Police will ask the service'sboard members on Wednesday to approve the proposed operating budget for 2023, which is an estimated $214 million.

In a report going before the police service's board, regional police say the 2023 budget makes"critical investments in public safety" across theregion, which includes the addition of 19 officers for high demand policing areas, as well asfrontline and victim-focused areas.

The report says the proposedbudget for 2023 actually sits at approximately$209 million, but the addition of the 19 officers adds another $4.2 million.

The proposedbudget isan additional$14 million from the 2022 budgetapproved by regional council. That increase "represents a tax impact of 7.22 per centon the police portion of the regional property tax bill," according to the report.

Primary areas of investment for the proposed budget include:

• Front line patrol services.
• Police's intimate partner violence unit.
• Special victims unit, human trafficking unit and thesenior support team.
• Wellness unit.

If the proposed budget is approved by the board, police will present to regional council Feb. 1. Final approval from the region is scheduled for Feb. 22.