Brampton — Peel Regional Police (PRP) will receive more than $7.6 million in new provincial funding to expand several community safety initiatives, including the creation of dedicated anti-gang and hate crime units, as part of Ontario’s Community Safety and Policing grant program.
The funding, announced by the Peel Progressive Conservative Caucus, will support eight projects aimed at addressing crime and social challenges through a mix of enforcement, intervention, and data-driven policing. The initiatives include establishing a dedicated gang prevention and enforcement unit, enhancing mental health crisis response through specialized officers and support staff, piloting addiction worker partnerships for timely treatment referrals, and strengthening intimate partner violence intervention teams.
PRP will also create a standalone hate crime unit, expand its Community Intervention Response Team (CIRT) across all four divisions, and boost data analytics capabilities to support intelligence-led policing. Additional funds will go toward targeted operations to combat organized retail theft.
Brampton North MPP Graham McGregor said the funding ensures Peel Police have “the tools and support they need to address crime, respond with compassion, and strengthen the partnerships that make Brampton a safer place to live, work, and raise a family.”
PRP Chief Nishan Duraiappah welcomed the grant, saying it will help the service better address crimes that “deeply impact residents.” He added, “With a dedicated Hate Crime Unit, expanded intervention teams, and enhanced mental health supports, we are strengthening our ability to make our communities safer and more resilient.”
However, community advocates have raised concerns about the focus on policing rather than broader social investment. David Bosveld, co-founder of Peel Black Collective and the Black Education Fund Empowers, argued that the funds would be better directed toward youth services, mental health supports, food and housing security, and employment programs.
“PRP has provided evidence that social determinants are a crucial factor in determining who ends up in their custody, and yet community organizations rarely see these types of investments,” Bosveld said. He added that increased funding for guns and gang enforcement could lead to further over-policing and violence in Black communities, noting that Black residents are nearly three times more likely to experience use of force by police.
Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish, who had previously criticized Peel police’s 23.3 per cent budget increase approved earlier this year, nonetheless applauded the new provincial grant. “I applaud the government of Doug Ford for stepping up to make a difference on Hate Crimes, Organized Crime and Mental Health Response,” she said, adding that the funding will help make neighbourhoods safer.
The January budget increase funded 300 new officers, inflationary pay raises, and 65 additional civilian positions. The new $7.6 million provincial grant adds another layer of targeted funding as Peel Police expands its specialized enforcement and intervention capabilities in Mississauga and Brampton.