Measure performance
Push for regular public reporting on call volumes, answer times, peak and longer waits, abandoned calls and other indicators that show what residents experience.
Plans & Priorities
Public Safety & Community Health
When residents call for help, the system needs to respond. Stephen's approach focuses on frontline performance, transparent evidence and a complete path from crisis to recovery.
911 performance
When you need 911, you don't have time to be on hold.
Residents have publicly raised concerns about 911 hold times. Before making assumptions, Stephen wants the Region and Durham Regional Police Service to show residents what is happening, whether staffing is keeping pace with demand and what improvements are required.
The 911 plan
Stephen supports properly funding frontline public safety. He also believes major policing investments should be connected to measurable improvements in the services residents rely on.
Review capacity
Request a transparent review of communicator staffing, vacancies, overtime, workload, population growth and the demands of Next Generation 911.
Fund the frontline
Support additional communicators and related capacity when the evidence demonstrates they are needed, with clear service goals and public follow-up.
What a Regional Councillor can do
A Regional Councillor does not direct individual 911 operations. The role can scrutinize budgets, request public information, ask whether proposed investments address frontline needs and support funding through the proper regional and police-governance processes.
Addiction treatment
Build a complete path to recovery.
Withdrawal management can stabilize someone, but recovery often requires continued treatment, stable housing, primary care and ongoing support. When those pieces are disconnected, people can cycle through shelters, emergency departments, police interactions and the justice system.
The treatment plan
Durham has a 22-bed residential withdrawal program where the average stay is approximately four to five days. Lakeridge Health also operates a 21-day residential treatment program for women.
Durham appears to lack a comparable publicly funded residential treatment option for men. Stephen wants that gap documented clearly and addressed through a coordinated proposal.
Document the gap
Request a public Regional report on treatment capacity, wait times, service gaps and the number of Durham residents referred outside the Region for care.
Build the partnership
Develop an evidence-based proposal with the Province, Lakeridge Health, treatment providers, labour and community organizations.
Complete the pathway
Connect withdrawal management with residential treatment, supportive housing, primary care, case management and aftercare so recovery does not end after detox.
What municipal government can do
The Province is responsible for much of Ontario's health system, so Durham cannot create a complete treatment system alone. Regional Council can document local need, convene partners, develop a business case, advocate for provincial funding and align Regional housing, paramedic and community-support responsibilities with the treatment pathway.