Strategic Priority - Enhance Town Safety
- Indicators: Crime Severity Index, Authorized Strength - OPP, Calls for Service - OPP
- Current Status and Future Strategy: Interim Report
Crime Severity Index
82.74 (2023)
Why it matters
The Crime Severity Index (CSI) tracks both the number and seriousness of crimes reported to police. It is based on the rate of all reported incidents divided by the permanent resident population, providing a clear measure of community safety that is not influenced by seasonal population changes.
What it means
The CSI was reported to be 82.74 by Statistics Canada in 2023. This represents an overall increase of 14.93 which can be attributed to the change in non-violent crime. Non-violent crime includes all non-violent Criminal Code violations, including traffic, drugs and all Federal Statutes.
Violent Crime severity has decreased by 10.54.
Authorized Strength (OPP)
91 members (2023)
Why it matters
Proper detachment staffing allows us to meet the expectations of our communities and to provide policing services built on respect, compassion and fairness. We understand that building strong police-community partnerships is an ongoing process that requires adaptability and responsiveness to the evolving needs of our communities.
What it means
Authorized strength represents the number of police personnel approved to staff the detachment. Having 91 members ensures sufficient staffing to provide reliable, responsive policing and support consistent community safety.
Calls for Service
12,937 service calls in 2023
Why it matters
A high volume of calls for service highlights the ongoing demand for police support in the community. Responding to these calls alongside proactive traffic enforcement and community engagement, shows the detachment’s commitment to maintaining safety, visibility, and public trust.
What it means
In 2023, the Southern Georgian Bay OPP detachment responded to 12,937 calls for service, an increase of 246 calls from 2022. This rise reflects growing service demands and the continued reliance on police assistance throughout the community.
Interim Report
Current Status and Strategy
- Creating safe communities is a collaborative effort of Midland, our neighbouring communities, the County, our service partners such as the OPP, and our residents and business owners.
- The Town introduced a number of environmental design measures to aid in crime prevention from our Official Plan and updated our planning policies to include these measures. We introduced new technologies at the Harbour, and the downtown in partnership with the BIA, to improve security. The Town’s by-law enforcement team also piloted foot patrols in the downtown core.
- Our Fire Prevention Division has responded to over 120 calls for inspection and our response crews to 796 emergency calls so far to date. The Fire Prevention Division has attended 25 events for public education, 6 Fire Extinguisher Training Sessions and 5 events, 2 of which were coordinated with neighboring agencies. The division also held a Camp Ignite program which was a weeklong program with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada.
- We are working to make our streets safer by investigating automated speed enforcement options and monitoring traffic data and patterns to inform our design and construction activities.
- The Town advocated for increased funding and services with multiple levels of government. Based on Town and community feedback, the County of Simcoe introduced a number of new service offerings, such as funding to increase funding to shelters, development of a community resource document (Community Response Toolkit), and a non-traditional security service provision (One Community Solutions) that specializes in managing crises through de-escalation, focusing on serving the unhoused community. Two successful Hope, Housing and Health Symposiums were held in Midland in 2023 and 2024, bringing together service providers and the public to talk about the needs specific to our community.
- Members of the Southern Georgian Bay (SGB) Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) will continue to work on the implementation of the OPP’s 2023-2025 Strategic Plan. They will remain focused on delivering our three strategic priorities to our people, our work, and our communities.
- Working with our community partners to respond to calls for service that involve socio-economic complexities remains a key priority of the detachment. Strengthened police and community relationships, with shared goals of crime prevention, harm reduction and risk intervention strategies, coupled with a focus on collision reduction, visibility, traffic education and enforcement are a foundational component of our daily operations.
- SGB OPP detachment will remain focused on adapting to the current and future realities of policing by developing evidence-based and actionable solutions to prevent, respond to, and solve crime. It is about sustaining our emphasis on effective operational outcomes to achieve the OPP vision “Safe Communities…A Secure Ontario".
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Town of Midland
575 Dominion Avenue
Midland, ON L4R 1R2
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