The Belleville Police Service is requesting financial relief from the province for the costs incurred for the shooting incident at the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in September.
At Wednesday’s Police Services Board meeting, they received a report detailing the expenses incurred during the investigation.
Currently, they total more than $100,000 (mostly for overtime for 71 members who have recorded approximately 990 overtime hours in support of incident-related duties), with that figure expected to rise with the addition of 20 officers from outside services who helped with supplemental staffing (as security was greatly increased around the city after the attack), and damage to two vehicles.
A letter was sent recently to Hon. Michael S. Kerzner, Solicitor General with the Ministry of the Solicitor General.
It reads in part…
Dear Solicitor General Kerzner:
Re: Emergency Financial Relief
We want to thank you for coming to Belleville on Tuesday to meet with us in the
aftermath of the Sons of Jacob Synagogue shooting. It is very meaningful that you sat
with us, our Mayor, MP and MPP and gave our service the opportunity to talk about the
attack, Constable Smith’s bravery, the professionalism of the men and women of the
service who responded to the scene and the resilience of the Belleville community and
the Sons of Jacob congregation.
During the meeting you offered to assist us with what we might need. We have had time
to collect our thoughts about moving forward. We hope that you can support the request
that follows.
On behalf of the Board and the Service, we are writing to formally request emergency
financial assistance from the Province of Ontario in response to the significant and
extraordinary costs incurred as a result of the shooting at the Sons of Jacob Synagogue
in Belleville on September 20, 2026.
The incident has required substantial and sustained police resources for emergency
response, the ongoing investigation and evidence processing, scene and community
security, specialized policing resources, staffing and overtime, and heightened security
measures arising from the incident. These demands have extended well beyond the
resources ordinarily contemplated within the Service’s operating budget and continue to
have a significant financial impact.
Accordingly, we respectfully request that the Ministry of the Solicitor General provide
emergency financial assistance to offset eligible costs directly associated with this
incident. We would welcome the opportunity to provide a detailed accounting of
extraordinary expenditures incurred to date, supporting documentation, and projected
costs as the investigation and related security requirements continue.
We would also appreciate the Ministry’s guidance regarding any available emergency
funding programs, extraordinary-event funding mechanisms, assistance associated with
emergency policing or temporary assistance under the CSPA, or other provincial
financial assistance that may be applicable.
