Part 1: Policing Costs, Safety Trends and Impaired Driving — 08/20/2026

PECConnect
Aug 20
5 min read

The County’s Ontario Provincial Police Detachment Board met on August 20, 2026, for its regular summer meeting, with policing costs, crime and collision trends, impaired driving, community safety planning and officer training among the main issues discussed. The meeting was chaired by Casey Hill, Chair of the Prince Edward County OPP Detachment Board, who also advised that the board’s 2025 annual report is scheduled to be presented to County Council on August 27. Hill opened the broader discussion with updates on recent federal and provincial changes involving bail, noting that the changes could result in additional bail hearings, police testimony and court time.

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Policing budget remains on track

One of the first substantial discussions focused on the board’s 2026 operating budget and what the County might face in policing costs next year. Arryn McNichol, Director of Finance, told the board that spending was on track, sitting at roughly 54.22% of budget at the end of June. He explained that some revenues had not yet appeared because they typically arrive later in the year, and future reports will provide more detailed budget-to-actual information so the board can better see where individual costs and revenues stand.

Attention also turned to possible 2027 OPP increases. McNichol said the information he had heard suggested increases could again reach a maximum of 11%, although the County’s actual share was not yet known. Hill added that provincial OPP officials had indicated municipalities should receive information in late September or early October and had suggested they should not expect the same level of “sticker shock” experienced previously. The final amount will also be affected by collective bargaining involving civilian and uniformed OPP employees.

McNichol then presented a comparison of policing costs across 14 municipalities. Based on the information collected, the County’s policing cost per capita sits roughly in the middle of the comparison group, rather than standing out as particularly high or low. He also noted that PEC represents about 1.21% of OPP-policed properties province-wide but about 0.91% of weighted calls for service.

Crime and collisions down, but distracted driving remains a concern

Staff Sergeant Jeffrey MacKinnon, Prince Edward County OPP Detachment Commander, reported several notable improvements in local policing statistics. Collisions were down 29.6%, violent crime was down 45%, property crime was down 41%, and mental health occurrences had fallen 23.9%. Personal injury collisions were also down 56%, although the County had recorded one fatal collision during the reporting period.

At the same time, McKinnon said enforcement charges had declined and the detachment was using a traffic plan with specific enforcement targets to address that trend. Distracted driving charges increased 114%, partly because each platoon has been directed to conduct monthly initiatives specifically targeting distracted drivers. McKinnon said many of those cases were appearing in Picton, where officers were seeing drivers using phones in heavier traffic. Speed enforcement has also been affected by five mobile radar units being unavailable for repairs.

The discussion expanded into another public safety concern: unreliable cellular service. Board members described difficulties getting service during busy summer periods, while McKinnon confirmed that weak coverage can affect policing because mobile computers in OPP vehicles rely on cellular connections. Without service, officers can lose access to real-time information and must rely more heavily on radio communications. Board members discussed raising the issue more broadly because reliable cellular coverage can directly affect the public’s ability to contact emergency services.

Community safety plan moving toward a new approach

The board also received an update on the County’s next Community Safety and Well-Being Plan. Hillary, who provided the working group update, said public consultation had taken place through online and paper surveys and in-person sessions. A consultation report, evaluation of the previous plan and recommended priority areas are expected to go to Council on September 8, with the advisory working group meeting again September 11.

The next plan is expected to take a more grassroots and project-based approach instead of organizing work around large issues such as mental health, substance use or specific demographic groups. Those concerns will still be included, but within broader priority areas that allow community organizations to participate in individual projects where their work is most relevant. The finalized plan is expected to reach Council for endorsement in the first quarter of 2027.

Impaired driving data points largely to local drivers

Impaired driving produced some of the meeting’s most striking numbers. McKinnon reported that from 2023 through 2025, 58% of impaired drivers identified in the analysis were the County residents, compared with 17% from Belleville and 11% from Quinte West. For the 2026 reporting period discussed, locals represented an even larger 63%. Picton and the Bay Bridge were identified as significant areas in the 2026 data, while McKinnon expects Sandbanks to become more prominent as the year progresses.

The detachment has increased its use of Mandatory Alcohol Screening, or MAS, which allows officers with an approved screening device to require a roadside breath sample without first having reasonable suspicion that a driver has consumed alcohol. McKinnon said the detachment was already around 103 tests for 2026 and expected to exceed the previous year. The board also discussed concern about impaired drivers under 21 and the possibility of strengthening public education alongside enforcement.

Before wrapping up, the board approved $400 from its Projects and Programs budget for a September 24 local training session covering court procedures, testimony, note-taking and judicial processes. The training is intended particularly to help younger officers gain court-related knowledge and will also include limited participation from neighbouring detachments. The board expects to hold another special meeting before the October municipal election to deal with its required 2027 budget estimates.

Key Takeaways

Local crime and collision numbers are trending downward, including significant decreases in violent crime, property crime and personal injury collisions, although distracted driving remains a major enforcement focus.
Impaired driving remains a distinctly local issue. Most impaired drivers identified in the data presented to the board were the County residents, prompting discussion about combining stronger enforcement with better public education.
Policing costs will remain an important issue heading into the 2027 budget. PEC currently sits around the middle of comparable municipalities on policing cost per capita, but the County is still waiting for firm information about next year’s OPP costs.

Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 1:07:34. 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.