Amhertsburg to review policing options after quote from OPP
A review of Amherstburg’s policing options has ramped up after the OPP indicated the town is next on its list for a quote on costs, Mayor Aldo DiCarlo says.
Amherstburg is considering whether to keep its current municipal police service or join with the LaSalle Police Service, the Windsor Police Service or the OPP.
But with the OPP now able to provide a cost estimate in a matter of months, DiCarlo said the decision — once a far off issue for the next town council to handle — has become more immediate.
“We were further down the (OPP) list, let’s put it that way,” said DiCarlo. “Initially, they were saying that if we got lucky, we might get done in a couple years.
“It turns out that some of the people ahead of us dropped out for whatever reason, and we’ve moved up to the top of the list. So what looked like an issue for the next council is probably going to be an issue for this council.”
DiCarlo said he expects to have costing estimates by the end of summer or early fall.
Amherstburg issued a request for proposals to LaSalle, Windsor and the OPP, said Amherstburg chief administrative officer John Miceli.
A recommendation to council on which option to pursue is expected in early 2018, with an implementation date of Jan. 1, 2019, Miceli said.
DiCarlo said that if a switch is made, current Amherstburg police will be offered jobs with the new police service.
LaSalle and Amherstburg are the only municipalities in the county to retain an independent police force. Amherstburg’s neighbouring municipalities have switched to OPP policing “for cost reasons,” DiCarlo said.
“We can look to our neighbouring municipalities: Lakeshore, Tecumseh, Leamington, Kingsville and Essex have all gone OPP.”
The average cost savings after switching to OPP policing services is around $1 million, DiCarlo said, depending on size and population of the municipality.
But he said the costing model has changed since neighbouring municipalities switched to the OPP, so “we really do need to see what the numbers are going to look like.”
Town council voted early in the term to investigate policing options after it became an election issue, DiCarlo said. The town delayed implementing the full review until the OPP could provide costing.
“We obviously didn’t want to look at them until we could look at all of them at the same time,” DiCarlo said.