City-wide security cameras, drones and more police officers wanted in Brampton: poll

Residents who tuned into a townhall meeting about community safety want to see dozens more security cameras deployed across Brampton, according to a poll.

On Tuesday, the city held the first of two telephone town hall meetings scheduled for this month, giving residents a chance to hear updates on key community safety initiatives, discuss priorities and have their questions answered.

Over 7,800 people called in to the telephone townhall, and a survey shows an overwhelming number want to see police hire more officers and use technology to help catch criminals.

Over 90 per cent of those surveyed said they are in favour of allowing police to use drones to collect evidence during active criminal incidents. Peel Regional Police said last year that drones will soon assist police by responding to 911 calls in Mississauga and Brampton, with no lag time as drone will be sent immediately to emergency calls.

Some 84 per cent of participants said they support installing 50 high-definition security cameras across the city to aid police investigations. The city already has 185 cameras installed at various locations that were part of the now-scrapped Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) camera program, with plans to use them to help police track fleeing vehicles and to issue tickets for other infractions.

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said last year that the provincial government was giving the city $6 million for the repurposing of the ASE cameras.

The poll also found 81 per cent of the respondents support hiring 150 new Peel Regional Police officers “to close the gap in officers per capita compared with the provincial average.” In 2024, Peel police had 144 officers per 100,000 residents, some 600 officers behind Toronto.

Sixty-five per cent also supported giving police legal authority to access private digital apps including messaging and social media platforms during criminal investigations.

“With our community, we share a commitment to strengthening frontline capacity, tackling property crime, supporting victims, and disrupting organized crime in our region,” Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said following the meeting.

There’s another telephone townhall meeting later this month, with a focus on health care in Brampton. The health care phone-in meeting will run on April 30 at 7 p.m., and residents can call in to hear updates on efforts to expand local health services.

Representatives from the city will be joined by Dr. Mohamed Lachemi, President and Vice-Chancellor of Toronto Metropolitan University and Dr. Frank Martino, President and Chief Executive Officer of William Osler Health System.

You can register to participate in either meeting or submit questions by visiting brampton.ca/engage. Sign-up closes at 12 p.m. on the day of the event.

Thank you to the more than 7,800 participants who joined last night’s City of Brampton’s Community Safety Telephone Town Hall.

Residents heard directly from Mayor @patrickbrownont, Councillors and @peelpolice about the work underway to keep #Brampton safe. From updates on key… pic.twitter.com/U9tBwNFjnf

— City of Brampton (@CityBrampton) April 15, 2026