The Hanover Police Service said calls continued to increase last year, but so did its full-time staffing levels.
Chief Chris Knoll presented the service's annual report to council this week, noting that overall calls went up 2.3 per cent in 2024, as did several other metrics.
"Although our crime severity index, our violent crime severity index, and our non-violent crime severity index has been higher than in previous years, I can report that our clearance rates across the board are some of the highest in Ontario and in fact, Canada," Knoll told council. "So I say, Hanover is really not the place to be if you want to commit a crime."
The service also increased its full-time officers from 15 to 16 last year, the first staffing increase since 2021.
Areas of particular focus where drug offences. Knoll said that HPS increased its clearance rate on drug offences despite the number more than doubling last year.
He also said officers were able to get a number of dangerous substances off the street.
"We also seized an astounding $290,000 worth of illicit substances," he said. "Of those, 669 grams of cocaine was seized, 435 grams of fentanyl, 925 grams of methamphetamine and 67 grams of heroin... I'm happy to report that we did not lose a single person to a drug overdose in 2024."
Knoll said that it was estimated that only 30 to 40 per cent of the people that were arrested last year had a Hanover address.
Chief Knoll also noted that their partnership with the Mobile Mental Health and Addictions Response Team continues to help divert people from the hospital.
"We responded to 201 mental health crisis calls," said Knoll. "We work daily with our in-house mental health clinician who assessed 39 people in the field, that resulted in less emergency visits. Of those 39 people, he also did 22 ongoing follow-ups to keep these people in their homes and resources properly."
Knoll said the worker also provided many referrals to people who came to the station to the Support Outreach Services program.
The service also investigated its first homicide in a decade late in 2024. The case is expected to go to trial next year.
Finally, he presented the service's finances, saying over the years it had moved from a position where it owed money to the Town, to a point where those loans have been repaid and reserves are healthy.
"We had a surplus of $177,000 in 2024 that went into reserve accounts. I'm happy to report that our board returned $700,000 from reserves to the town, earmarked to assist with the construction of the new police facility."
The new police station is scheduled for completion in 2027.
