Numbers tell positive story for force and community
“The big takeaway for us is we are trending, in most categories, in the right direction,” said Woodstock Police Force (WPF) Chief Mark Bennett.
Bennett presented the department’s 2025 annual report to Woodstock Town Council during their March 24 meeting.
He credited much of the force’s success over the last year to their increased staffing. To prepare for the planned expansion of their boundaries, they have been adding more staff. More staff have enabled them to increase their visible presence, which he thinks has helped discourage more criminal activity.
Over the last year, their calls for service have decreased by 0.1 per cent, from 3550 in 2024 to 3544 in 2025. Crimes against people have gone from 95 to 90 incidents, property crimes from 300 to 274 cases, fraud from 39 to 28, break and enters from 49 to 42, while thefts increased by 9.8 per cent from 132 in 2024 to 145 calls last year.
The largest shift in the numbers was in the drugs and weapons category, which shows a decrease of a staggering 67.5 per cent, from 40 cases in 2024 to a mere 13 in 2025.
“That’s great, but it’s not quite realistic,” Chief Bennett said about that statistic.
He explained that the decrease in numbers is largely due to collaboration among multi-jurisdictional departments through New Brunswick’s Integrated Enforcement Unit (NBIEU), of which Woodstock’s police force is a part. Thanks to their collaborations with other agencies, a lot of the drugs and weapons are being intercepted before they reach Woodstock.
“The charges don’t reflect, as they’re not in our jurisdiction, but we have been working diligently with other agencies to prevent it from coming here,” said Chief Bennett.
The NBIEU has been so successful that last year it was recognized nationally by receiving the RCMP 2024 Innovation in Crime Reduction Award.
“The Woodstock IEU’s operational contributions formed an important part of this province-wide success. This recognition reflects the professionalism, dedication, and collaborative approach of unit members, and underscores the Woodstock Police Force’s role in delivering effective, modern policing outcomes at both the provincial and national levels,” reads the annual report.
Intimate partner violence, while decreasing by 8.6 per cent, from 228 in 2024 to 208 last year, is a number that Chief Bennett says is still far too high.
“This is an area that we consistently champion with education, attending the high schools, and going into different community groups. Our IPV (Intimate Partner Violence Coordinator) investigator, Abby Derrah, along with our community relations and community engagement continue to get this messaging out there,” said Chief Bennett.
He also praised Derrah for her hard work and dedication, her talent as an investigator, and her excellent communication skills when educating and informing community members.
The force is currently in the process of hiring an additional person to fill the victim services position, which will add increased support as they work to decrease intimate partner violence even further.
Bennett expressed pride in their crime unit, which, at only a year old, has already been making a positive impact. He explained they have already been working on a number of high-profile cases, including an attempted murder, an aggravated assault that involved shots being fired, as well as several high-level frauds.
Community engagement is another area where he feels the department is excelling, describing their efforts as non-stop. They were involved in well over 100 community events last year and have been working proactively through education and messaging.
The town council gave a round of applause in honour of Cst. Eric Duguay, who was awarded the MADD Canada Silver Coin by the Lieutenant Governor on March 20. He received the award during the MADD Canada NB Police awards for removing 11-19 impaired drivers from New Brunswick roads.
Mayor Trina Jones cautioned that their numbers will likely drastically change once the Woodstock Police Force’s area of operation expands. Right now, she pointed out that they are responsible for 15 square km, but once they eventually take over all wards within the municipality, they’ll have a considerably larger area to look after. She expressed the council’s continued commitment to supporting their growth as they move forward, through initiatives such as additional staffing and ongoing facility renovations.
“We’re in a significant period of change with the Woodstock Police Force,” said Mayor Jones. “I commend all members of the force for sticking through some renos and we’re on the other side of that, and I think we’re in a good position from that standpoint to really move ahead and get ready for the next phase of realignment.”
