January 27, 2020, Simcoe, ON – Norfolk is taking a new, county-wide approach to issues of community policing.
Norfolk’s Police Services Board will replace its five Community Policing Committees with one, 11-member committee, starting this spring. At one time, Norfolk had 11 such committees, but that number had been reduced to five in recent years due to a lack of volunteers.
“The feedback from our committee chairs was that multiple Community Policing Committees, spread across a number of communities, no longer made sense,” says Police Services Board Chair Dennis Travale. “This new approach means that residents and organizations in Norfolk can speak with one voice about policing issues that are important to them. Their voice will help develop Norfolk’s strategic plan on policing.”
The committee’s mandate is to help identify and prioritize local policing issues and to provide advice to the Police Services Board in order to preserve and enhance the quality of life and safety in the community.
The goal is to have at least one member from each of Norfolk’s municipal wards, as well as a number of members-at-large.
Members will serve for three-year terms and will be appointed by the Police Services Board.
Recruitment will take place in February, with the first meeting expected to take place in March.
