The Sherbrooke police force has multiplied faster any other jurisdiction in Canada since 1998, a new report released by Statistics Canada says.

The Sherbrooke police recorded an increase of 26 per cent over the last decade, three per cent ahead of the next-fastest growing police force in St. Catherines-Niagara, Ontario according to the report released last week.
Sherbrooke City Councillor Serge Paquin, who chairs the city’s security committee, says this reflects the low number of police officers in Sherbrooke ten years ago.
“We had a lot of complaints before 2002 because our resources did not suffice,” he told The Record yesterday.
In 2002, the city added 43 full-time police officers to the force, Paquin said. Current statistics show there are roughly 151 officers for every 100,000 people in Sherbrooke, which is still below the Canadian average of 196 per 100,000.
Sergeant Martin Carrier of the Sherbrooke police says the increase reflects the area’s population growth and the region’s needs.
Trois-Rivieres, a city of similar size, increased in its police force by only 19 per cent according to Statistics Canada, but its population growth was half that of Sherbrooke in recent years.
Carrier said that crimes, especially vehicle thefts, have decreased as police presence has increased.

For full story, please pick up today's Record

By Laura Keil
Special to The Record
Sherbrooke

Wednesday, December 17, 2008