Police services concerned about 'unintended consequences' of extra OPP funding

[Michael Jack]

The province’s small- and mid-sized police forces are raising concerns about the “unintended consequences” of the province’s proposed $77 million funding for municipalities policed by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

Municipal police services across the province say they are worried about the proposed one-time funding recently announced by the province to help offset rising costs tied to wage increases in a new four-year contract.

“Specifically, this funding may exacerbate existing challenges for these (small- and mid-sized) services and boards as they navigate budget planning and strive to meet the increasingly complex demands of providing adequate and effective policing services under the Community Safety and Policing Act (CSPA) framework,” says a letter penned by Ontario Association of Police Services Boards and the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police.

Earlier this year, several OPP-policed municipalities were vocal about their skyrocketing policing costs, driven in part by a collective bargaining agreement reached in July 2024 between the province and the Ontario Provincial Police Association. The province, which funds the provincial police, took note and soon announced it would provide millions to help offset those costs.

But Kingston Police, which is mostly funded by the municipal taxpayer and not the province, is also facing similar cost increases. In late November, the city’s police board approved a $54 million budget, representing an increase of more than 13.7 per cent over the year before. Most of the increase, according to Police Chief Scott Fraser, is also being attributed to newly settled collective agreements.

The extra $77 million to offset the costs, however, was earmarked specifically for municipalities policed by the OPP.

According to the letter, addressed to Solicitor General Michael Kerzner, the concerns being raised by municipal police chiefs and boards about the announcement centre on what the potential impact to the municipal budget process may be, without additional funding.

They also have concerns about the “significant and unfunded impacts” of the new Community Safety and Policing Act, localized bargaining and wage increases, public perception of rising policing costs, and the ability for smaller municipalities to sustain a municipal policing model.

“Given the concerns raised by police services in the wake of the recent announcement, we are looking for your ministry officials to help us better understand the equitable funding models available to all police services across the province,” the letter reads.

The letter also says the funding announcement raises issues about several systemic challenges for municipal police forces, including modernizing the grant funding process, securing additional and equitable funding for implementation of the Community Safety and Policing Act, and exploring sustainable funding solutions.

There is also a need for “clarity and greater awareness around the financial drivers, costs, and budget impacts related to delivering adequate and effective policing in today’s policing environment.”

“This awareness will allow for a meaningful examination of policing services funding opportunities and the ability to better inform the communities we serve and the boards and municipalities that approve municipal police budgets.”

The letter is included for discussion in the upcoming Kingston Police Services Board agenda.

sbedford@postmedia.com

https://www.thewhig.com/news/police-ser ... pp-funding