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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-12-09, Page 27Wedr►u.sdaa . l k.r miber 1948 Exeter Times—Advocate Estimate for entire county policing presented HURON COUNT): - Huron County ixinci ►E will soon he "seamless" it• municipalities accept a $5,810.775 OPP contract. OPP represr<ntatNes wen: at County Council on Nos. .26 to present an estimate of how much it will cost to police the entire county under one contract. Reading from the police costing report. County rep- resentative Craig Metzger • notes • if the contract is accepted, it could save the county. $750.000 each year. County Council requested the OPP costing last year in hopes, savings could he found. Same service The new county=wide contract does riot include Wingham- and is baser( on • the currant levels of service provided w the county's other 25 municipalities. • Metzger. explained the $5 -K -million price tag includes salaries and bene- fits of uniformed and civil- ian members of the staff. and other expenses such as • police cars. buildings, equip- ment and communication costs. The county force would have 78 uniformed officers and 11 civilian staff. Then: would be one inspector. one staff sergeant, . eight sergeants and 6/t constables. Existing police offices in Wingham, Exeter and Goderich would be used as operations centres and vari- ous cornrnuntty policing offices would be set-up in other smaller communities throughout the county. According to Metzger. the county -wide contract will give. the municipalities "known cost,' in regards to their policing each year 'and allow the police to consoli- date and share resources. From a policing stand- point. OPP Sergeant Shawn Johnson says the neve con- tract will -allow the OPP to other• an 'integrated" police service. The OPP will be able to become more effi- cient and Comrnunity. Policing Committees will help bring forward local concerns. to the police. Johnson explains. This year. the total cost of OPP policing in Huron,. as well as the "over and above' costs of police service boards. some buildings and staff, equalled $6.2 trillion. Next year: the cost -is expected to increase to $6.6 rni)1lon. Under a county -wide sys- tein. the OPP estimate administrative and opera- tional efficiencies would allow them to deliver the sank service for about $5.8 million. Who pays? Much discussion at coun- ty county centred on who would pay for the county force. Some townships point out ' they should pay less bccaiusc they have Tess access to ixilice than the towns. what•the UNI' recoui- mended is a cost allocation based oii 'workload' ratios. Ttie nuniht.r 01- calls to each municipality would he recorded and each munici- pality would pay for their percentage ,of thc.ct►unty's overall number of cads. Those percentages would he averaged over a number of consecutive years in an • Mon to avoid any n►assivu cost variations for hot or slow crime years in any given municipality twunicipal councils have until pec.: 1 to review the OPP costing and report hack to the county. Found money Solicitor General Rob Runciman announced on Nus. 24. the details of the Community Policing Partnerships program that will help.1und new police officers across the province. The province has committed up to 50 per cent of the salary cost's for newly -hired police officers While the balance will he paid by the municipality The program calls for a grant of up to $7(K)0K) for Huron to hire five new officers. OPP Sergeant Gary" Martin tells county council• the addition of five officers to the Huron force should mil he considered a:. "extra" 1►oMk. .In fact. he says the five officers Huron will get under the new government program will merely help hnng the county loris up lo a minimum standard. He adds the county actually needs seven additional officers to meet the provincial and municipal policing responsibilities it Huron. and those officer have already been tactoreo into the county -Nide OPI costing. , He said it was lust '.'coin. idencc" %hat tht province announced tht $7(K0,000 grant at the .amt time the county o. considenng anew contract Yeah, 1 want to feel good. For life. "...helping young people get ready for the future" No one likes to be told what to do. But you decide. Smoking Would you like to quit smoking? Would you like to help a friend quit? There is information to help. Like Quit 4 Life, a website (quit4life.com) for teenage smokers who really want to quit. Materials are also available on smoking prevention and second-hand smoke; Alcohol and Other Drugs What are drugs? Why do people use them? 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