York Region appears ready to approve the largest police budget increase in its history — a 12.7 per cent rise for 2026 — which would bring the total police budget to $546.5 million. Of that, nearly $499 million would come directly from taxpayers. York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween presented the proposal on Nov. 6, requesting $56.3 million more than last year’s budget to expand staffing and respond to what he described as significant rises in violent and property crime.
The 2026 budget plan includes 154 new hires, including 56 community safety officers who will have a visible presence in neighbourhoods, along with 33 investigative officers and a substantial number of civilian positions. The new request follows 150 hires already budgeted for the current year. While regional councillors did not challenge the need for additional front-line officers, some expressed caution about the rapid increase in civilian staffing — 56 new civilian positions over two years. Stouffville Mayor Iain Lovatt questioned the workload justification, while Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti suggested the police board monitor the balance between officers and civilian staff.
Chief MacSween defended the request, saying support staff are essential for allowing officers to remain focused on front-line duties, and noted that many civilian workers were “burned out” due to understaffing. He also pointed to stark crime increases since 2020: assaults up 54 per cent, robberies up 89 per cent, homicides up 111 per cent, sexual violations up 114.5 per cent and motor vehicle thefts up 125.7 per cent. He emphasized that the numbers represent “real harm and fear” for victims, families and communities.
At the same time, MacSween highlighted improvements in 2024 — including a 36 per cent drop in vehicle thefts, a 67 per cent decline in homicides and an eight per cent decrease in sexual violations — crediting last year’s staffing increases for helping to curb rising crime trends. He acknowledged, however, that not all positions budgeted for 2025 have been filled.
Scarpitti urged caution in relying on 2020 data, noting that the pandemic made that year an anomaly, and requested 2019 crime statistics before council grants final approval later this month. MacSween agreed to provide them.
York Regional Police remains one of the least staffed major police services in Canada, with 138 officers per 100,000 residents. If the proposed 2026 budget is adopted, that number would rise to 149 — bringing York closer to staffing levels seen in neighbouring Peel Region.
