The crowd was small but generally well-informed at the Open House event hosted by Mayor Graham on April 8that the CMCC. The objective was to introduce the Chief to the community in an informal setting where residents could hear directly about the successes and challenges facing the police service that protects our community .For some in the audience the introduction was unnecessary. As Chief Betts explained, he lives here. Chief Betts was appointed in January 2023, and brings 28 years of police experience to the job, as well as extensive education, including Masters Degrees in Business and Law. Cavan Monaghan is served by patrols around the clock. The night shift is manned by two officers, and one during the day. Officer safety is the key reason for this staffing decision, even though evidence indicates that calls for service are higher during the day, slowing down around midnight and are lowest around 3 am. Wednesdays and Thursdays are the busiest days for police in Cavan Monaghan, and Sunday is the slowest. The majority of calls in the municipality relate to speeding. Calls for service in the municipality are falling, according to the 2024 Police Service report, which indicated a 32% decline from roughly 1200 calls in 2023 to just over 900in 2024.Traditionally, police service established based on anecdotes and perceptions. This is changing under Chief Betts, who describes himself as data-driven. Perceptions are unreliable, and he is keen to allocate resources where they are needed most. For example, he explains that while there is a perception that downtown Peterborough is becoming more dangerous, the evidence indicates that the opposite is true. Chief Betts also noted that often complaints about speeding are overstated, as the perceived speed is much higher than the actual speed of the vehicles in question. He wants police action to be driven by facts. Peterborough Police Service introduced a pilot program in January 2024called Community FIRST, designed to address incidents he described as low value, high frequency, maximum aggravation incidents involving property crime. Chief Betts indicated that this unit has reduced the number of calls waiting for officers at the beginning of their shift from an average of forty to three. In 2024, the unit also retrieved more than $66 million in stolen property across the communities served by the Peterborough Police. The audience was eager to know what individuals in the community could do to proactively support the police service. Chief Betts indicated that the organization is currently conducting a Community Perception survey to help them identify areas where crime prevention initiatives could be further explored, implemented, or improved. One of the objectives outlined in their current strategic plan is to build trust and confidence with the public. This survey is a step towards that goal, and is the first survey of this scope in many years. Responses are anonymous. Among the 35 questions are ones that touch on specific safety initiatives, police interactions and specific concerns as well as core questions about police accountability, legitimacy and the perception of safety. The survey is open until June 3rd.To participate, visit the police service website atwww.peterboroughpolice.com.
Event organizers may have been disappointed by the low turnout for the event, but perhaps it could be seen as good news: there were no disgruntled residents lining up to voice their complaints. Take that as a compliment, Chief Betts.