The Community Incident Response Team (CIRT) was established in May of 2022 in 22 Division. CIRT provides a modernization of traditional frontline foot and bicycle patrol in an effort to increase public engagement and have a visible police presence in communities.
Our initial roll out will consist of 3 Sergeants and 12 Constables, which will expand over the next 6 months to a full compliment of 24 Constables. As a result of the successes of the CIRT program, a decision to expand to 11, 12 and 21 Divisions was found to be beneficial. Once all 4 Divisions are up and running, the total compliment will be 16 Sergeants and 96 Constables for the organization.
The primary objective of the CIRT program is to alleviate the workload on front-line personnel and address specific enforcement needs in local communities. CIRT aligns with our organizations strategic plan by delivering both targeted law enforcement as well as utilizing alternative methods through the Community Safety and Well-Being framework. Utilizing a CIRT approach allows officers to identify problem areas, establish and maintain relationships with community stakeholders, businesses and residents while providing essential resources and access to services for repeat offenders and individuals in vulnerable situations.
For additional information, please see Chief Nishan Duraiappah’s video news release.