Durham Region will receive 7 new police officers as part of Ontario's share of the federalPolice Officers Recruitment Fund that will put up to 329 new police officers in Ontario communities. For Durham Regional Police Services, this represents $490,000 each year for the duration of the five-year plan.

As part of a commitment in 2006, the federal government pledged to put 2,500 new officers on Canadian streets. The funding ultimately provided falls roughly 70 per cent short of that original commitment. Ontario will continue its campaign to receive its fair share of funding.

The province will receive $156 million in federal funding over five years to hire more officers as its share of the federal commitment of $400 million for all of Canada.

Under the province's five-year plan:

§$78 million will go to employing 125 new Ontario Provincial Police officers

§$58 million will help municipal police services hire up to 164 new officers

§$20 million will fund 40 new police officers for First Nations police services.

QUOTES

“The Region of Durham will benefit from the extra police presence," said MPP for Pickering-Scarborough East, Wayne Arthurs. "Our community is a safer place for people to live in, work and raise families." said Joe Dickson, MPP for Ajax-Pickering.

"The McGuinty government has an excellent track record in strengthening Ontario's police services," Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Rick Bartolucci said. "We will continue to pressure Ottawa to permanently and fully fund the additional police officers."

"The 125 additional OPP officers represent a critical enhancement to our ability to protect Ontarians," OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino said.

QUICK FACTS

§The McGuinty government has committed $68 million in annual funding, to help municipalities employ more than 2,000 police officers.

§In 2007, the McGuinty government announced an increase of 200 additional officers for the Ontario Provincial Police to keep Ontario communities safe.