Police service board shown the drop from 2021 to now, partly impacted by COVID
An update to the Niagara regional police services board on its marine unit.
Sergeant Jon Pilkington spoke of the equipment used, the drop in the number of calls for service in three years, as well as the over 1,400 square kms it covers.
Board Chair Jen Lawson pointed out how important it is to note the area covered. "I think it's really important, that we don't just talk about the dollar cost per person, but we also talk about dollar cost per land, per square kilometre, as well as the waterways and the cost, because we are not comparable."
She noted NRP have to be mindful of how much water is covered, as that differs from other municipalities.
Sergeant Pilkington showed the police services board there were 133 calls in 2021, that dropped to 76 last year.
He noted COVID had its impact. "We also found that during COVID, the high number of people just going out and buying boats, so that they could do something, increased our search and rescue requirements. The search and rescue calls in 2021, we're still seeing a lot, from people that didn't know how to operate boats, who just went out and bought them."
There were 62 search and rescue calls in 2021, and 28 last year.
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