County council not passing its pot funding to police

Peterborough County council has denied a request from Peterborough Police to share the funds the county received from the provincial government to help with costs from the legalization or marijuana.

In 2019, the county received $125,123 from the Ontario Cannabis Legalization Implementation Fund. Each individual township also received funding. The money was provided to help compensate municipal costs relating to cannabis legalization, including costs faced by police, public health and the courts.

According to a report from Peterborough Police, the force is now required to do officer training, additional RIDE checks and more, at an anticipated additional cost of $500,000.

However, most of the county is served by OPP, with the exceptions of Cavan Monaghan Township and the Lakefield ward of Selwyn Township.

During county council’s virtual meeting on Wednesday, Jim Martin, mayor of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen, told council members they should consider consulting with the OPP.

North Kawartha Township Deputy Mayor Jim Whelan said he agreed with Martin.

“If we’re going to do anything with this money as far as our township is concerned, it’s going to go to the police service boards up our way or the OPP,” Whelan said.

“We have no connection with the Peterborough Police. So if the vote is that

Cavan and Selwyn’s share go to the Peterborough Police, I’m fine with that, but not the North Kawartha share.” Cavan Monaghan Deputy Mayor Matthew Graham said the funds were directed to the county to address costs that were incurred by the county. “And policing is not that cost,” he said.

Cavan Monaghan Mayor Scott McFadden said he believes the money shouldn’t be given to the city police or the OPP.

“If there’s any responsibility when it comes to policing, it falls in the lower tier municipalities which also received funding. So I don’t agree with sending any monies to the police, either the city or if an OPP request comes forward, because quite frankly policing is not a county matter,” he said.

Selwyn Deputy Mayor Sherry Senis said she doesn’t believe the province gave the county the money to forward it to the police.

“I think it was given to us for specific reasons and if we aren’t sure right now what we should be doing with that money, I think we should put it into an account and hold onto it and use it when it’s needed,” she said.

Several council members agreed the money should be put aside until there’s a plan for its use.

“Policing is one of the costs that you may incur, but there are other costs,” said Selwyn Mayor Andy Mitchell.

Funded by the Government of Canada/ Financé par le Gouvernement du Canada.