Waterloo Regional Police Service $1.6M overbudget for overtime

Waterloo Regional Police cruiser outside the service's headquarters on Aug. 18, 2025. (Heather Senoran/CTV News)

The Waterloo Regional Police Service is $1,679,000 overbudget when it comes to paying for overtime.

A report dated to June of this year, and presented to the Waterloo Regional Police Service Board on Wednesday, stated $3,714,000 has been paid out to compensate for 73,314 overtime hours.

The report also noted overtime hours decreased by 22,590 hours, approximately 24 per cent, compared to last year’s figures.

The majority of the overtime is going into neighbourhood policing and investigation divisions.

The report blamed “staff shortages” for the cost.

“It has been recognized that in the past couple years, as we’ve been catching up for staffing pressures and vacancies, that we have achieved full authorized staffing by the end of 2024,” Chief Mark Crowell of the Waterloo Regional Police Service explained. “It does not mean ‘mission accomplished’ because those that we’ve hired, we need to onboard, train and for them to ease into their roles.”

He also noted the service’s progress when it comes to ensuring officers get their required lunch breaks, which, aside from the financial impact, is also important for their overall wellbeing.

There is a dedicated working committee examining overtime costs within the police service.