Lambton County's community safety and wellbeing plan for the next three years has been presented to county council.
The plan focuses on five priorities; community safety, addictions and mental health, systemic racism, housing and homelessness, and poverty.
Lambton OPP Staff Sergeant Ross Stuart, a member of the oversight committee, said they want to focus on reducing or preventing violent crime, property crime and illicit drugs.
"Some of the strategies that we will employ to meet those outcomes will include fraud prevention, residential and business related assessments to assist with lessening property crimes or preventing it, as well as programs such as lock it or lose it," said Stuart.
Stuart said they would also like to expand the mental health engagement team, known as MHEART (Mental Health Engagement and Response Team), which sees mental health clinicians ride along with Lambton OPP and Sarnia police officers.
"The real benefits that come out of this program include minimizing the number of mental health related apprehensions that are being done, as well as putting community resources in place immediately for folks."
Stuart said the transition protocol between police, hospital staff and the Canadian Mental Health Association has also been critical to its success.
"The real benefit here is that the folks that need that assistance are spending less time in the ER (emergency room) and are getting direct contact with the mental health clinicians at the hospital who can provide them with the meaningful help that they need. So, we want to continue to improve that transition process."
Over 1,000 residents responded to two different surveys seeking input. 78 per cent indicated they were satisfied with personal safety in the community.
Rather than each municipality creating a plan, which was mandated under the police services act, there was a coordinated effort to develop one plan for the county.
The plan has been approved and staff were directed to work with community stakeholders to develop a leadership team to implement it.
To view the plan, click here.