The St. Thomas Police Service says it has reached 20,000 calls for service earlier than ever before, highlighting what officials describe as growing demand for policing in the city. Police announced they recorded their 20,000th call for service on Oct. 13, more than two weeks earlier than last year, when the milestone was reached on Oct. 31. According to the service, this marks the earliest date on record that officers have surpassed the 20,000-call threshold. The date has been steadily moving earlier in recent years, reflecting a rise in calls for service. The milestone was reached on Dec. 12 in 2022, Nov. 12 in 2023, Nov. 3 in 2024, Oct. 31 in 2025 and Oct. 13 this year. Police said the impact of higher call volumes extends well beyond the initial response to incidents. “Many calls require follow-up investigations, court preparation, disclosure processing and administrative work, creating additional demands across the organization, including communications, frontline patrol, investigative units, court services, information technology and administrative staff,” read a statement from police. St. Thomas police did not provide a breakdown of the types of calls contributing to the increase.
