New billing model won't solve OPP costing issue: Kehoe

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?

New billing model won't solve OPP costing issue: Kehoe

Postby Thomas » Wed Apr 30, 2014 3:21 am

ORILLIA - The OPP’s new billing model is a redistribution of costs, not a solution, says Coun. Patrick Kehoe.

“I see it as a Band-Aid,” Kehoe said during Tuesday’s Orillia Police Services Board (OPSB) meeting. “We’re treating a symptom, but not addressing the problem.”

While the new billing model, to be implemented Jan. 1, 2015, is expected to save the City of Orillia $1 million, surrounding townships are anticipating a sharp increase.

“Even though there may be some marginal savings in the short term … we are going to be wrestling with this for a very long time unless this is addressed,” Kehoe said.

He said the long-term problem is policing costs are “out of control.”

They “will continue to escalate unless we do something about the arbitration system,” Kehoe said.

Under the current labour arrangement, while in negotiations, all emergency services can ask to go into binding arbitration. Unions can demand higher salaries for their members based on comparator municipalities even if the rate is higher than what either party was asking for, Kehoe said. The arbitrator will then accept the comparator and the wage increase will be imposed, he said.

“There’s no appeal, there’s no discussion, there’s no consideration for ability to pay. It is absolutely imposed,” Kehoe said.

During Tuesday’s OPSB, members discussed the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) steering committee’s final report on OPP billing reform. AMO created the OPP billing steering committee in recognition of the widely disparate impact that the proposed OPP billing reform could have on communities and the shared interest of all municipalities in controlling police costs, states the report.

Kehoe would like to see the arbitration system overhauled with the new billing model.

“It’s being used regularly and it’s being abused regularly,” he said.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the OPSB passed a motion to forward correspondence to the minister of community safety and correctional services requesting the issue of binding arbitration for police services be considered in the report. The report notes long-term cost control is a top priority.

“Provincial action on collective bargaining and interest arbitration are needed to rein in wage increases, which are outpacing increases received by other public-sector workers,” the report states.

Kehoe noted it is a political issue, not a problem with the OPP.

“Its origin and problem lies in Queen’s Park. This is not the responsibility or blame of the frontline forces. They play the cards that they have at their disposal,” he said.

Kehoe added there is no political appetite for change due to election speculation.

Police, fire, emergency, civil service employees and teachers make up almost 20% of provincial voters, Kehoe said.

“They form a huge voting block. They have a high voter turnout. They have a very strong voice at election time. In the day and age of minority governments, nobody is too anxious to mess with that knowing that that could make the difference in the balance of power,” Kehoe said. “I hate to even bring it up. That will start a firestorm, but it’s true.”

The Ontario government has promised to make the OPP the highest-paid police force in the province, he said.

During the meeting, Mayor Angelo Orsi said writing a letter to the minister would not help.

Kehoe agreed. All parties, including the union, need to find a fair and sustainable model, he said.

“It’s not in the union’s interests to have an unsustainable model … because they don’t want to hit a wall. It’s certainly not in their interest to do that, but that’s where we’re heading,” he said.

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