Hawkesbury asks counties to consider regional contract for policing

As policing costs continue to soar and council continues to feel it has no control over the rising numbers, members of Hawkesbury council are asking the united counties to examine the merits of negotiating a regional policing contract with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

The idea is endorsed by The Nation Mayor Francois St-Amour, who will assume the position of warden for the counties during the inaugural meeting of council in December.

St-Amour said the counties' currently has a similar contract for ambulance and paramedics and noted policing could operate in much the same manner.

"I think it's a good idea to look into the possibility of having a regional policing contract," St-Amour commented. "It works well for the ambulance service, so why not for policing? This is something I will certainly investigate as warden."

The town's police force came under the OPP umbrella in 1999, but it has become clear the town doesn't have much say in the cost of the service, since police salaries, which represent a huge chunk of the annual budget, are set by the province.

Policing cost Hawkesbury taxpayers about $3.4 million in 2010; $3.2 million in 2009 and just shy of $3 million in 2008 and 2007 respectively.

Hawkesbury has joined a growing number of Ontario municipalities complaining about the steadily increasing costs of providing police protection services.

Under the Ontario Police Services Act, Hawkesbury is responsible for paying 100 per cent of policing costs. However, other municipalities in Prescott County served by the same detachment receive grants from the province to help offset policing expenses because they are governed under a different section of the act.