Thank you so much to our great member from Chatham-Kent–Leamington. I also want to thank him for serving his community, putting his uniform on every single day and getting out there to make sure he has a safe community.

He is leading the charge when it comes to bail reform, when it comes to making sure that we take care of the cost of basic training at the Ontario Police College. He understands it. There’s no one in this chamber who understands it more than the member from Chatham-Kent–Leamington.

Madam Speaker, we have decided to make sure that we take care of the complete cost of having these young people, these young women and men, go to the Ontario Police College without having the burden of $15,000 or $16,000. This is going to attract more recruits to serve the people of their community.

Madam Speaker, across Ontario we’ve seen crime go up; we’ve seen crime go up an unprecedented amount right here in Toronto. People are scared to go on the subway. People are scared to walk out their door at nighttime and take a stroll down the street.

I have a clear message for all the bad guys out there, all the criminals: You cause problems in our town, we’re coming to get you; we’re going to throw you in jail, and you’re going to be in there for a long time.

My question is for the Premier. Across our province, we’re seeing more and more reports about an alarming rise in violence and major crimes impacting our communities. Our government must act now to improve public safety and provide greater protection to the people of Ontario.

I was proud to serve my community as a front-line OPP officer, and I will always support my fellow officers and encourage anyone interested in joining this rewarding profession. In order to better support our police services, it is essential that our government provide improvements to the recruitment process so we can get more officers in our communities. Speaker, can the Premier please explain how our government is removing barriers for police services across the province to recruit and train more front-line officers?

Local police services are in urgent need of more officers who are trained and equipped to respond to the ever-increasing complexity of calls. Among the many people considering a career in this profession, some may not have attended a post-secondary institution, but they still have valuable skills and valuable life experience to contribute and to serve their communities.

Speaker, can the Premier please elaborate on the actions our government is taking to remove barriers for a career in policing?