Drug calls were on the rise in 2024 for the Sarnia Police Service.
Its annual report said officers responded to 405 related calls in 2024 compared to 335 in 2023, up about 20 per cent.
Sarnia police introduced its Major Case Action Team (MCAT) in April 2024 to meet growing demands associated with rising community crime concerns.
Chief Derek Davis said the unit focuses on dealing and trafficking, as well as other portfolios.
"If we look at just CDSA (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act) charges, so this would be simple possession or the trafficking from the 2023 to 2024 comparison, in 2024 we were up 62 per cent with 168 drug related charges," he said.
Davis added 120 of those charges were trafficking.
In one year the MCAT unit seized a street value of $471,560.05 in drugs, including cocaine and fentanyl.
In addition to drug trafficking the MCAT unit also executes search warrants.
The report also found thefts went down from 1321 in 2023 to 1,072 but shoplifting went up to 424 from 381.
Meanwhile, unwanted person calls went up 11 per cent from 1,935 to 2,161.
In 2024, the amount of criminal charges went up 18 per cent to more than 5,000 in the 38,987 calls for service.
Board member Chrissy McRoberts spoke highly of the police service and recognized how busy officers are.
"On the ride-a-long there's always a list and I was overwhelmed when someone is coming on at 3 p.m. or whenever they start their shift and there's already 50 or 80 things that are prioritized, 108 a day of real time, so that's a huge number," she said.
During the past year Sarnia police implemented some new programs, such as the Canine Team, increased the capabilities of the Emergency Response Team (ERT) and the Community Crime Unit.
Board member Ann Marie Gillis recognizes new innovation that has come into the service over the past year.
"We're trying to do more with less but this is one thing where people's expertise are being really well used because they're not stuck under one portfolio they get to integrated into more than that," she said.
The full report can be found on the Sarnia Police Service's website.