DouroDummer considers dropping OPP

Peterborough Police asked for quote in bid to save money

The mayor of Douro-Dummer Township says his council has asked Peterborough Police how much they’d charge to patrol the township on contract for the next four years because they’re looking for savings.

Douro-Dummer’s contract with the Ontario Provincial Police expired at the end of December.

While the OPP is still providing service to the township, DouroDummer council is no longer under contract and is free to switch to another service. That’s why township council asked Peterborough Police for a quote, said Douro-Dummer Mayor J. Murray Jones.

“We’re quite happy with the OPP,” he said in an interview Wednesday. “But if some huge amount of money is to be saved, we have a responsibility to look at it.”

Earlier this week, the Peterborough Police Services Board received a letter from township

council asking whether they’d provide a quote.

Peterborough Police is a cityfunded service that provides patrol services on contract to two areas of Peterborough County: the village of Lakefield (in Selwyn Township) as well as Cavan Monaghan Township.

The board didn’t vote on whether to provide a quote at their meeting Tuesday. It simply received the request.

Police Chief Scott Gilbert cautioned at the meeting that developing a detailed quote is “a big undertaking.” He said he needs to speak with “key people” first.

“This is something that will require some careful consideration,” Gilbert told the police board.

Jones said he wasn’t surprised to hear Peterborough Police are taking a cautious approach.

“I don’t blame them,” he said. “It’s going to be a considerable expense for them (Peterborough Police) just to give a quote.”

Gilbert mentioned at the meeting that the service wrote a detailed quote for Douro-Dummer a few years ago, before Peterborough Police was ever on contract with any of the townships.

At that time, Douro-Dummer stuck with Peterborough County OPP.