Crime: Feeling Safe in Your Community Shouldn’t Be Too Much to Ask

A few weeks ago, I was talking with a Mississauga resident who mentioned that they no longer feel as comfortable in their own neighbourhood as they used to. That feeling is becoming harder to ignore.

In the first six months of 2026, there were 103 shooting incidents involving a firearm being discharged in Mississauga and Brampton. At the same point last year, there had been 58. That is nearly double the number of shootings in just one year. Peel Regional Police say the increase is connected to extortion, organized crime, and the international drug trade.

For families across Mississauga, these are stories about people being threatened, homes being invaded, and residents wondering whether their neighbourhoods are still as safe as they once were.

Police are on the front lines of this problem, and they need a municipal government that is willing to work with them.

Unfortunately, that has not been the approach under Mayor Carolyn Parrish. After joining the Peel Police Services Board in 2024, Mayor Parrish resigned from the board later that year amid a dispute over the police budget. She said she could not properly represent both her constituents and the police at the same time. But when violent crime is rising, the answer cannot be to walk away from the table.

Mississauga needs a mayor who will work with police leadership, listen to officers on the ground, and make community safety a priority. It means demanding accountability while making sure officers have the resources, tools and support they need to prevent crime, investigate it and keep dangerous criminals off our streets.

We also need to address the underlying challenges driving violent crime, including organized crime, illegal firearms, and drug trafficking. Peel's deputy chief has made clear that these issues are contributing to the rise in shootings.

Community safety is a top priority; however, Mississauga is overpaying because of an outdated funding formula. This is due to an outdated funding formula that makes Mississauga responsible for 62% of the cost of Peel Regional Police while Brampton only pays 38%.  That outdated formula is set by the Province of Ontario and needs to change.

As mayor, I will make community safety a top priority. I will work with the Government of Ontario to renegotiate this formula so that Brampton pays its fair share. Mississauga taxpayers should not have to compromise community safety for a fair split of the costs. 

Mississauga can be safer. But that requires leadership that works with police, takes rising violent crime seriously, and puts the safety of residents first.