Thank you, Chair, for giving me that time.
I think we'd be remiss if we didn't have a bit of a conversation today here about the actual frontline officers, the men and women who serve our communities.
I'd like to mention two tragic incidents that have happened over the past couple of years. Last year there was Constable Jim Peters, a Barrie police officer, who was stabbed while on duty by a repeat violent offender on probation at the time of the stabbing. Thankfully Jim survived that attack.
In 2023, OPP Constable Greg Pierzchala, a Barrie resident, was ambushed and murdered by a violent repeat offender who was out on bail under a lifetime firearms ban.
Gentlemen, you three represent lots of officers in the presence of your association. I think we need to talk about how these types of incidents, how these repeat offenders, are affecting the wellness, mental health and morale of your officers.