$954,850.26 for Woodstock Police and OPP will help fight crime and keep people safe
WOODSTOCK — Oxford OPP and Woodstock Police Services Board are receiving a total $954,850.26 as part of the Ontario government’s more than $91 million investment to help protect families and communities across the province.
The funding is being delivered through the Community Safety and Policing Grant Program.
“I’m proud to see our government investing nearly $1 million to support the vital work of our local police services,” said Ernie Hardeman, MPP for Oxford. “This funding will help enhance community safety through important programs, while also expanding proactive, on-the-ground initiatives that support individuals facing mental health and addiction challenges. These resources will strengthen the ability of our police to serve and protect all residents of Oxford by ensuring safer streets and healthier communities.”
The Town of Tillsonburg is the lead on the joint project with Ingersoll, and the townships of Blandford Blenheim, Norwich and East Zorra-Tavistock. They will receive $266,923.68 which will be used to continue and expand the Mental Health Engagement and Response Team (MHEART), the Offender Management Apprehension Program (OMAP), and proactive community engagements in response to the growing need to support individuals experiencing mental health crises, manage high-risk repeat offenders, and address emerging community wellness needs.
Woodstock Police Services Board will receive funding for two programs. The Community Response Unit (CRU) will receive $332,569.58 to expand its role of dedicated traffic and foot patrol and community engagement throughout the downtown core of Woodstock in order to locate, identify and address the concerns of the community and coordinate plans for people with mental health issues, homelessness and substance abuse problems.
Project SAFE will receive $355,357 to intensify efforts to reduce firearm-related crime by expanding enforcement capabilities and strengthen investigative capacity. Project SAFE includes the well-being of officers tasked with managing these complex investigations and incorporates services to support them.
These are three of 127 projects being funded across the province for 2025-26.
The Community Safety and Policing Grant Program supports policing initiatives that focus on local or provincial priorities and provides eligible police services/boards and municipalities policed by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) with funding to deploy front-line officers where and when they are needed most.