- Dec 2, 2021
“You Can’t Run With 1000 Members Short” – OPP Association President on 2021 Auditor General Report
On December 2, 2021 the Office of the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario released its annual report, which contained the following about the Ontario Provincial Police.
- News Release: The OPP has so many Frontline Vacancies, It Cannot Provide the Level of Service it is Supposed To: Auditor General
- Audit at a Glance: Ontario Provincial Police
OPP Association President Rob Stinson was interviewed by reporters for his reaction.
The following was quoted in the Canadian Press and appeared on several media outlets, including Global News.
You can’t run with 1,000 members short.The population in my patrol area doubled and the number of officers was down 60 per cent ? It just doesn’t make sense.The government has made great strides in recent years addressing mental health in policing, Stinson said, including with the announcement of a health and wellness centre for first responders, and a round-the-clock triage line. But what is really needed to address the shortage is simply hiring more officers.
The following is an excerpt from The Toronto Sun, including quotes from President Stinson.
Ontario Provincial Police Association (OPPA) President and CEO Rob Stinson said the organization has been attempting to draw attention to the staffing shortage for the past two years.
he shortfall put increasing pressure on the remaining frontline officers, he said.
“During the last two years with the pandemic, the amount of manpower-intensive crimes has risen dramatically … your domestic assaults, your mental health calls,” Stinson said. “They went up over 100%.
“In small communities that we deal with, the population has doubled and the amount of officers has decreased proportionately, which is the opposite of what you want,” he added.
A large number of officers brought on after a hiring freeze in the early 1990s will be eligible to retire in the next few years, creating the potential for even more severe staffing shortages unless action is taken to correct the situation, he said.
"You can’t run with 1,000 members short. The population in my patrol area doubled & the number of officers was down 60 per cent? It just doesn’t make sense.” ~ Rob Stinson President Ontario Provincial Police Association in reaction to Auditor General report Dec1/2021 #OPP #ONpoli https://t.co/3lt7ffuWxs
— OPPA (OPP Association) (@OPPAssociation) December 2, 2021
OPP frontline constable shortage grows to over 1,000 vacancies https://t.co/eglqf00NM4 Via @suntooz
— Toronto Sun (@TheTorontoSun) December 2, 2021