Connie Tabbert
Editor
COBDEN — The bill from the OPP for Whitewater Region Township could be as much as $1.2 million in 2015.
“I don’t know how we are going to pay this,” said Councillor Allen Dick at July’s council meeting.
Council received a detailed report titled Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) OPP Billing Steering Committee Final Report.
“There are a lot of issues in this report,” Coun. Dick said.
In the past, this township has been paying $90 to $100 per household, which is about $650,000. However, that amount could double according to the report, which means the amount could increase to $170 to $200 per household.
“It’s a considerable increase,” he said. “I don’t know how we are ever going to pay this.”
There have been meetings with Sergeant Colin Slight of the Renfrew Detachment of the OPP through the Community Policing Advisory Committee regarding this issue, but there’s nothing he can do except report to his superiors how the municipality feels, Coun. Dick noted.
“Something definitely has to be done, I just don’t know what the alternative is,” he added.
Coun. Dick believes the OPP should get more efficient. Explaining himself, he said in the last 10 years, crime has gone down 40 per cent, but there has not been any cut in the number of police officers. While the OPP continue to do their job, he questions if there is a possibility of over-policing.
“The arbitration system with the board of education, the policing, on and on, is right out of control and that has got to come back into line and if it doesn’t I don’t know where we’re headed,” he said.
Reviewing the report, Mayor Jim Labow pointed out it’s noted that arbitration is the blame for the high policing cost. It’s noted the OPP “are to be the highest paid police force in Ontario.” This means if another police force gets a raise, the OPP automatically gets one as well, he said.
One of the suggestions is that civilians could take over some of the activities of the OPP, such as fingerprinting for a police check to volunteer. In order for that to occur, a police officer must be present and there is belief that’s not necessary, Mayor Labow said.
Councillor Daryl McLaughlin said a $100 increase per household, plus the levies on top of that is going to be expensive.
“I don’t know how we are going to do that,” he said.
Coun. Dick noted the last two raises the OPP received were 15.3 per cent and 8.3 per cent. Between 2003 and 2012, the OPP received a 40 per cent increase in salaries although crime is going down.
“We are over policed, that’s how I look at it,” he said.
Deputy-Mayor Izett McBride believes there is better policing in the municipality. There are plain police cars cruising around and he believes it coincides with the OPP taking over the Pembroke Police Service.
Reeve Don Rathwell said through the daytime there is plenty of policing throughout the township, including the smaller towns, but from 2 to 7 a.m., there is no police in the smaller towns when the mischief is occurring. He recalled that when the police were at a previous council meeting, it was confirmed there is more policing on Hwy. 17 than in the smaller towns throughout the early morning hours.
“Police can be called, but they are not touring up the main street of Cobden at three or four o’clock in the morning unless they are in the area on the highway and take a run up,” he said. “We are not covered and that’s the worse time of all.
“Even with all the increase in money, there is the time we are left vacant for crime to be committed,” he said.
Reeve Rathwell said there are many municipalities opposed to this new billing model that will be in place for 2015.
“There are smaller municipalities that are already threatening they will be bankrupt,” he said. “The (Renfrew) county supports those opposed to the increase that’s coming to all these rural municipalities,” he said. “I really hope that something will happen. We’re not the only ones who can’t find the money. There is enough opposition from those in the province of Ontario who can’t find the money.
“There will be a pile of opposition continually on this until somebody from the province says we are going to have to pick up 50 per cent or 40 per cent of this increase, we can’t leave it on the municipalities,” he said. “There will be no money left for roads or bridges. We are all going to be in the same boat.”
The Eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus is fighting this for 13 different counties, Reeve Rathwell said.
“The pressure is going to continue on and one of the best ways is the Eastern Ontario Warden’s Caucus, which is fighting hard,” he added.
