The Ontario government is investing over $1.6 million to support local policing initiatives in Chatham-Kent (CK) and Essex.
The funding for CK Police Services and Essex County OPP is part of Ontario’s $91 million investment.
“Our government is proud to invest in projects that support our police and help keep people safe across Chatham-Kent and Essex County,” said Chatham-Kent–Leamington MPP Trevor Jones. “These initiatives will build stronger partnerships between police and community, improve crisis response, and harness new tools to fight crime. By working together, we are making our communities safer and more resilient.”
CK Police Service Board will receive a total of almost $1.2 million.
Of that money, $693,243.63 will be for its Community Connect Project that focuses on strengthening trust, communication, and collaboration with local communities through mentorship programs, culturally responsive outreach, neighbourhood forums, and the Fast Intervention Risk Specific Team (FIRST) strategy.
The rest of the money will go towards advanced CCTV to combat crimes like human trafficking, as well as retail and vehicle theft.
The technology driven initiative, Operation Crimewatch, will also be launching new software for translation, privacy compliance, and evidence handling to support police investigations and community transparency.
Essex County OPP will receive $473,089 to expand crisis response capacity, enhance officer training on addictions and mental health, strengthen youth and newcomer outreach, and bolster traffic enforcement programs, as part of its Stronger Together Project.
These local projects are among 127 being funded across Ontario in 2025-26.
