HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-11-13, Page 21Council representatives andmunicipal staff gathered followingthe Nov. 5 meeting of Huron Countycouncil to learn more about the
proposal for group OPP municipal
policing.
What they learned, however, left
them with some important
unanswered questions.
The request for the proposal to be
put together came from eight Huron
municipalities about a year and a
half ago. The idea was to see
whether a group proposal would
assist with addressing issues of
costing and inefficiencies.
With the proposal finally
completed, Sgt. Dino Tsitomeneas,
the OPP’s contract policing analyst,
delivered the news Wednesday that
the group only has until Dec. 14 now
to sign a contract.
The biggest concern for those
present was that while Tsitomeneas
broke down the workload for each
municipality there were no specifics
when it came to dollars.
Tsitomeneas said that the main
benefit for the group in signing the
contract that the fees for a first-class
constable would be at the 2003 rate
of $20,413, with no fluctuation for
five years. If not, the 2009 fees they
will pay will be at least $9,000
higher. It is anticipated as well that
this will continue to increase over
time.
However, how the total costs
would be divided among the
municipalities and who would pay
the bill was something Tsitomeneas
had no answer for. “It is up to the
group how to apportion the costs.”He noted too that the group couldstill move forward if certainmembers decided they not longerwanted to be involved. Other municipalities have groupcontracts that Tsitomeneas
suggested might help with this.
Huron County warden John
Bezaire of Central Huron asked if
the OPP could assist the group by
giving them the actual calls to each
municipality. “So the bill would be
based on actual activity. The big
issue has always been how to split
the bill.”
Inspector Dan Grant said he felt
there was no reason this couldn’t be
done.
The co-operative mood shifted a
bit after South Huron councillor Ken
Oke said there were many things to
be considered and the timeline was
too short. “We have to come up with
a way to charge this to each
municipality. We can’t get prices to
compare. Six weeks is asking too
much of us to come up with a
solution.”
Tsitomeneas said that only other
solution is to do their own contract at
the 2008 costing.
“I see that as a threat,” said Oke.
“There are things I can’t control,”
said Tsitomeneas. “I do understand
how you feel and see what your
perceptions might be.”
Asked by councillor Dorothy
Kelly of Morris-Turnberry what the
price might be after the five years,
Tsitomeneas said he had no idea.
Larry McCabe, clerk-
administrator for Goderich said that
his council had already decided they
were going to proceed on their own.
Among their concerns were seeingeight municipalities represented by afive-person police services board,and the issue of cost splitting. As for savings, one officer presentnoted that there won’t be savings ineconomy of scale by banding
together. “The true savings are by
locking this in for five years,” he
said.
Bezaire wondered why each
municipality could have their own
contract at the 2003 rate. “If it can be
done for eight, why not one. You said
it could proceed if someone wanted
to leave. What if everyone pulls out
but one and they still want a
contract?”
Tsitomeneas admitted it was a
good question but while he
suspected it wouldn’t be permitted
he didn’t have the answer. “I thought
I’d looked at every scenario.”
He said he would get the
information and bring it back to the
group. He will also try to assist them
with answers to their other concerns
in time for them to make a decision
on whether to proceed.
Grant offered some final
comments at the end of the meeting.
He agreed that the timeframe was
“unreasonable”.
However, “these gentlemen work
for contract policing. I don’t. After a
request came in I asked on a monthly
basis how it was going. They said it
was the busiest year they had ever
had. From their perspective it was a
reasonable response.”
“Having said that we are a large
organization with finite resources,”
he said, explaining that while they
perhaps could have put more officers
onto the task of putting together a
proposal, he doesn’t feel that’s whatpolicing is. “My feeling is we shouldmaintain front-line policing ratherthan administrative.”From his own perspective, Grantsaid regardless of their decisionHuron can expect the OPP to“deliver quality policing.”THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2008. PAGE 21. County wants more info from OPP before decision
RIDE on
Huron OPP and the Huron Bruce chapter of MADD
Canada kicked off the festive RIDE season and Red
Ribbon Campaign last week with a RIDE check in Clinton.
Acting Sgt. Mike McCabe of the Huron OPP and Laurie
Dinning of MADD Huron Bruce stopped vehicles and
handed out red ribbons in an effort to raise awareness.
(Vicky Bremner photo)
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