Part 1: The Board Reviews Community Safety Priorities, Marine Patrols, and Youth Prevention Programs — 06/18/2026
- PECConnect
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
The County OPP Detachment Board met on June 18, 2026 to receive updates on several initiatives connected to community safety, policing, prevention programs, and local priorities. Chaired by Casey Hill, the meeting brought together board members, OPP representatives, community organizations, and municipal partners to discuss how different agencies are working together to address challenges facing residents across the County.
A significant portion of the meeting focused on the ongoing update of the County's Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Plan, a long-term strategy designed to identify local challenges and coordinate responses across multiple sectors. Representatives from Loyalist College's Centre for Healthy Communities and Vital Signs shared details about the extensive consultation process currently underway.
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Community Safety Plan Moving Into Its Next Phase
Kurstin Salisbury, Senior Manager of the Centre for Healthy Communities at Loyalist College, explained that the organization has been working alongside Vital Signs and municipal partners to develop the County's updated CSWB Plan. The work has involved collaboration with roughly 40 health, social service, and community organizations.
Presenters emphasized that community safety extends beyond policing alone. The plan brings together organizations working in areas such as health care, housing, social services, education, business development, and community support. The goal is to identify local risks before they become crises and create coordinated responses that improve quality of life for residents.
The presentation highlighted several examples of recent collaborative projects, including a youth mental health resource fair, a human services directory designed to improve access to support services, and a fraud awareness campaign aimed at local businesses. These initiatives were presented as examples of how multiple organizations can work together to address issues before police intervention becomes necessary.
Consultations with residents recently concluded, and while a full analysis has not yet been completed, several themes have already emerged. Residents continue to identify mental health and substance use, housing and homelessness, poverty reduction, and domestic and intimate partner violence as important priorities. Seniors and youth also remain key populations of concern across multiple areas.
Other themes that surfaced during consultations included reducing social isolation, improving transportation options, supporting affordable living, strengthening local economic participation, increasing access to programs and services, and helping newcomers become more connected to the community.
The project team plans to spend the summer analyzing consultation data and working with community partners to develop measurable strategies before drafting a new plan later this year.
OPP Marine Unit Prepares for Busy Summer Season
The board also received a presentation from Constable Lori Josephson, the Prince Edward OPP's marine operator, who provided an overview of enforcement and education efforts on local waterways.
Josephson explained that the marine patrol season typically runs from May through Thanksgiving and focuses heavily on safety compliance, impaired operation enforcement, and public education. Officers routinely conduct vessel inspections to ensure boaters have required safety equipment, including life jackets, flashlights, throw lines, and operator certifications.
A major focus remains alcohol enforcement. Josephson reminded the board that operating a vessel while impaired carries many of the same consequences as impaired driving on a roadway, including licence suspensions and criminal charges. Officers also use roadside-style alcohol screening devices when necessary during marine patrols.
Statistics from 2025 showed officers issued numerous safety-related offences and liquor-related charges while also identifying impaired vessel operators. The detachment also responded to three drowning incidents last year, reinforcing the importance of safety equipment and responsible behaviour on the water.
For 2026, patrol activity is already underway, although Josephson noted the season has started more slowly due to lower boating activity. The unit continues to work closely with the Ministry of Natural Resources, Sandbanks Provincial Park wardens, the RCMP, the Coast Guard, and local fire services.
One challenge remains the size of the area being covered. The County's marine program operates with a single patrol vessel covering a large section of Lake Ontario and surrounding waterways. Staffing and vessel maintenance also continue to affect operational capacity.
Youth Prevention Program Receives Continued Support
Another major discussion involved a presentation from St. Leonard's Hastings Prince Edward regarding its Youth Reach Consent and Boundaries Program. The organization outlined how funding provided through the OPP Detachment Board has supported presentations in local intermediate schools over the past two years.
The program focuses on educating Grade 7 and Grade 8 students about consent, healthy relationships, boundaries, intimate image sharing, and abuse prevention. Presentations also include opportunities for anonymous student questions and participation from local OPP officers who help explain how these topics connect to the law.
According to program staff, nine of the ten planned presentations have already been completed, reaching more than 250 students across several County schools. Student feedback has been positive, with most participants reporting they learned something valuable from the sessions.
Program representatives stressed that prevention and education remain important tools in addressing issues such as sexual violence and intimate partner violence before they escalate into criminal matters.
Following the presentation, the board approved continued financial support through a $5,000 allocation from its projects and programs budget to help continue the initiative.
Mental Health Concerns and Policing Challenges
The meeting also touched on concerns raised through public correspondence regarding interactions involving individuals experiencing mental health challenges. Board members discussed the limits of traditional law enforcement responses when dealing with complex mental health and substance use situations.
Staff Sergeant Jeffrey MacKinnon explained that the detachment currently works with two IMPACT workers who assist with follow-up support and referrals. While those services are available until late evening, overnight support remains more limited. Referrals are typically made following police interactions so community partners can provide assistance afterward.
The discussion connected closely with the broader themes emerging from the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan consultations, particularly around mental health supports and early intervention.
Key Takeaways
The County's next Community Safety and Well-Being Plan is taking shape. Public consultations have wrapped up, and residents can expect a draft plan later this year focused on mental health, housing, affordability, transportation, community connection, and support for vulnerable populations.
Marine patrols are already active for the summer season. OPP officers are focusing on boating safety, life jacket compliance, impaired operation enforcement, and education across local waterways.
Youth prevention programs will continue in local schools. The OPP Detachment Board approved additional funding to support consent, healthy relationship, and abuse prevention education for the County students.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 1:19:27. Due to the length of the meeting, our team was not able to independently review the full recording in its entirety. As a result, we relied on software-generated transcription, automated summarization, and automated recognition of speakers and participants, which may not be entirely accurate. All transcriptions, summaries, and related content are prepared by our team in good faith and on a reasonable best-efforts basis. The content is provided for general informational purposes only and is intended to support public understanding of the topics discussed. While reasonable efforts have been made to present the information accurately, automated processes may result in errors, omissions, or unintended misinterpretations. This article does not constitute an official, certified, or verbatim record of the meeting, and it should not be relied upon as such. Readers are encouraged to consult original source materials, official minutes, or recordings where available for confirmation or clarification. Questions, requests for clarification, or suggested corrections may be submitted to hello@pecconnect.ca for review and consideration.
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