Police plan end to free funeral escorts

Wide-ranging list of services will also cost more in proposal set for approval next month

WATERLOO REGION — In a move to recoup money — more than half a million dollars — Waterloo Regional Police plan to increase their fees. That means people will soon have to pay for police-escorted funerals.

Currently, there are no fees for funeral escorts, but under the proposed fee structure funeral escorts will be provided by paid-duty officers (off-duty officers who are hired for that job).

The estimated revenue from funeral escort fees is projected at $126,000, the Waterloo Regional Police Services Board was told Wednesday. Each year, police participate in about 150 funeral escorts.

Board member Karl Kiefer said he initially was against the move but when told by Police Chief Bryan Larkin that the local police service is the only agency in Ontario offering free funeral escorts, he backed down.

Waterloo Region Chair Ken Seiling, a member of the board, said he supports putting a fee in place for funeral escorts.

Board member Philip Huck also supported the increased fees.

“Great job at cost recovery,” he told the board. “It’s fantastic.”

The fee increases will be presented at next month’s police board meeting for final approval.

Fees also will increase for record checks, which are often needed for employment. Record checks will increase to $40 from $30, except for those that are required for volunteering — they will remain at $10.

Police issue 37,000 record checks a year, the police board was told.

Increasing the fee for record checks means the service will recoup $318,300.

The total increase in all fees will see the service take in about $687,900.

Larkin said senior administration officials examined the fee structure closely and chose to increase fees because they had remained the same for the past 12 years.

He supports keeping the fee for record checks for volunteers at $10.

“Volunteerism and crime prevention are tied together. We see it as good value,” Larkin told the board.

In an interview, Larkin said the increase in fees for record checks subsidizes the volunteer record check and keeps it at a manageable $10.

“Any time you raise fees, there is trepidation,” he said.

The increased fees cover costs and are not put in place to make profit, Larkin said.

“These are financial strategies that ensure we can manage our budgets year to year,” he said.

Other services for which fees will increase include attending false alarms, collision reports for insurance companies, paid duty events and interviewing officers.

False alarm calls — the No. 1 call for service in 2004 — were cut in half after police added fees.

The fee to attend a false alarm is currently $75. It will go up to $100. For residents who aren’t registered with police, the fee will rise to $200 from $150. It costs $10 to register an alarm with police.

The fee for an interview with an officer, often used in civil matters, will rise from $65 to $140.

Fees for paid duty are also increasing and are expected to bring in an extra $110,000.