Belleville Police Service cruiser. /BPS Facebook photo
The Belleville Police Service is raising concerns over increasing backlogs in Provincial Offences Act (POA) cases in Hastings County, alleging delays are preventing timely justice and eroding public confidence.
Under provincial guidelines, cases reaching the 15-month limit must be withdrawn, even when investigations are completed on schedule.
Police Chief Murray Rodd said the backlog results from systemic court scheduling constraints rather than police inaction. With only 85 judicial sitting days annually, officers’ work is often set aside, leaving victims, complainants and the public without resolution, reads a recent release from the service.
According to the service, early resolution meetings can’t occur without a Justice of the Peace and informal resolution options available in other jurisdictions are not offered locally. While the province is considering reforms, including allowing court clerks to accept guilty pleas, these measures have yet to be implemented.
“The challenges we are seeing are the result of systemic court scheduling limitations, not police action,” Rodd said. “Yet our officers’ work is set aside and the public sees cases withdrawn without resolution. That is a lose-lose for Belleville.”
The backlog is straining resources, weakening accountability and damaging trust in the justice system, the service has stated.
Belleville Police and Hastings County continue to collaborate, but both are reportedly limited by structural issues beyond local control.
The Belleville Police Service said it supports provincial modernization efforts and remains committed to ensuring judicial capacity is sufficient to deliver timely and effective justice for the community.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
