Niagara Regional Police are asking for a 2026 budget increase of nearly 13 per cent as the force deals with a rise in violent crime with limited resources.

“The complexity and volume of serious crime in our region continues to grow,” police Chief Bill Fordy told police services board members Thursday.

Fordy presented two budget options for board members to consider.

One would increase NRP spending by 13.6 per cent — for a total of $241.3 million — and add 85 more officers and civilian positions to the police service. That includes 33 front-line officers while bolstering the ranks of the homicide, human trafficking, child abuse and sexual assault units.

But that 13.6 per cent figure was too much for board members to swallow — they instead favoured a less expensive option with a budget i

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