Brantford residents can help set the direction of local policing for the next five years by filling out a new online survey from the Brantford Police Services Board. The confidential survey asks people about their safety concerns and priorities, and will directly shape the department’s 2027-2031 strategic plan.
The survey takes just a few minutes, and the board says your voice matters. “This quick survey will help shape the Brantford Police Service 2027–2031 Strategic Plan, ensuring it reflects the priorities, concerns, and needs of the people we serve,” the board says on its website. Residents can find the survey at https://ow.ly/7x0B50YUEGa.
The current strategic plan, covering 2023 to 2027, was built using a similar community-first approach in fall 2023. That effort drew 775 online survey responses and more than 150 interactions at community pop-up events. The top concerns back then included downtown safety, major crime and drug trafficking, property crime, safer roads and pathways, and dependable emergency response. People also wanted more police visibility and better accountability from the service.
Police Chief Jason Saunders has already said that 2026 priorities include boosting front-line policing and visibility, especially downtown, along with community outreach and traffic enforcement. The 2026 police operating budget was approved at about $54 million, a 7.99 per cent increase over 2025, driven partly by inflation and technology costs.
The Brantford Police Services Board now includes Chair and Ward 5 Councillor Mandy Samwell and Vice-Chair Dan Houssar, who took their roles in January 2026. The board oversees the police service and sets its priorities under Ontario’s policing rules.
