Durham Region officials have announced plans for an $88-million new police station in Ajax that they say is needed as the town's population is projected to grow. The project, part of the police's 10-year capital plan, still needs the approval of Durham Region Council and is dependent on regional approvals and funding.
The station, scheduled to open in 2031 as the Ajax Division, would be located at 1401 Harwood Avenue N., north of Rossland Road. The new division would include front-line patrol operations, community response units, criminal investigations branch, divisional command staff and space for community engagement.
Durham police Chief Peter Moreira said Ajax and Pickering are served by the service's west division, which was built in 1992 to serve about 127,000 residents. Since then, the populations of the municipalities have more than doubled, and calls for service have increased accordingly. Ajax's population was more than 126,000 in 2021, according to census figures, but Moreira said it is considered one of the fastest growing communities in the region.
"Durham Region has continued to grow and so have the demands on policing. Crime has evolved. Investigation complexity has increased, and perhaps most important, community expectations have changed," Moreira said. "This division is a critical investment to ensure our infrastructure keeps pace".
