Meaford saving money with non-contract OPP policing

Obscenely high and unsustainable policing costs. OPP bills are destroying communities its officers are supposed to protect. Apparent self-interest is cloaked in the guise of public safety needs. Where is the political outrage while OPP costs continue to climb? Who is going to bring policing costs in this province under control?

Meaford saving money with non-contract OPP policing

Postby Thomas » Mon Jan 20, 2014 4:27 pm

The Municipality of Meaford has saved more than $200,000 with its switch to non-contract OPP policing.

At Meaford council's regular meeting on Monday, January 13 CAO Denyse Morrissey delivered a report about the impact of council's decision to switch to non-contract (also known as section 5.1 policing) OPP policing.

The 2014 budget included a cost of $2,198,462 for contract OPP policing, however the switch to 5.1 policing has led to a revision of the estimate from the OPP and it now stands at $1,979,732.

The switch has resulted in a savings of $218,730, Morrissey reported.

"It is lower than what we included (in the budget)," Morrissey explained to council, and noted that the 5.1 costs can now be compared to contract OPP costs and the recent policing proposal from Owen Sound.

The $218,730 in savings does not mean the municipality's operating budget will drop by that amount. OPP costs for 2014 rose sharply over 2013 and to mitigate the large increase in costs council approved drawing $236,000 from a policing reserve and utilizing $110,000 from the 2013 surplus to fund the dramatic cost increase.

"This means we will not draw on that reserve as much," noted Mayor Francis Richardson.

Morrissey said the lower OPP costs meant the municipality would use just $80,000 from the policing reserve to offset increased policing costs.

Meaford switched to non-contract OPP policing late last year after it became clear that sticking with a contract arrangement required a one-year commitment. The municipality had already agreed to receive a policing proposal from Owen Sound and a one-year commitment to OPP contract policing would have short circuited that process. Owen Sound proposal was delivered at the same meeting the CAO report's about non-contract policing was received by council. A report about the matter will be coming in the next few weeks.

http://www.simcoe.com/news-story/432491 ... -policing/
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