Four community policing agencies across Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound are receiving a combined $764,300 from the Ontario government to boost local safety initiatives, as part of a $91 million province-wide investment.
The funding is delivered through the Community Safety and Policing Grant Program and will support projects ranging from downtown foot patrols to new technology and mental health-focused outreach.
“For many constituents across Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, community safety is front-of-mind,” said Paul Vickers, Member of Provincial Parliament for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound. “This investment of over $764,300 in our dedicated policing professionals across Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound shows that our government is serious about keeping Ontarians safe.”
In Grey Highlands, the OPP will receive $32,788.55 to acquire traffic counters, e-bikes and surveillance tools, aimed at strengthening traffic enforcement, eco-friendly patrols, and investigative capacity.
The Hanover Police Service is receiving $28,104.47 to hire part-time constables who will handle routine duties such as patrols, warrants, bail hearings, and court documents. The move will free up full-time officers to focus on more serious cases.
The Owen Sound Police Service secured two major grants. One, worth $229,519.85, will sustain the Part-Time Officer Program, which assigns uniformed officers to traffic enforcement, downtown foot patrols, and event coverage. A second grant of $417,679.57 will expand the Community-Oriented Response and Enforcement (CORE) program by adding a full-time officer and a part-time analyst to focus on issues such as mental health, addictions, and housing insecurity.
The West Grey Police Service will receive $56,208.88 to modernize frontline policing by equipping officers with secure smartphones for communications and digital reporting. The funding will also support a new hate crime prevention and education strategy with community partners.
Across Ontario, 127 projects will be funded in 2025-26 through the grant program, with 88 focused on local priorities and 39 addressing provincial concerns such as gun and gang violence, human trafficking, mental health and addictions, and hate-motivated crime.
“Our government is delivering on our promise to protect Ontario and keep communities safe,” said Solicitor General Michael Kerzner. “Through this funding, we are helping to build safer communities by ensuring Ontario’s police services have the resources they need to address local issues and improve the well-being of the people they serve.”
The Community Safety and Policing Grant Program provides eligible police services, police boards, and OPP-policed municipalities with funding to deploy front-line officers where they are needed most.
