More local input promised as policing costs set to rise
A new Huronia West Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Detachment Board will give Clearview Township a voice in the way the detachment is run.
The board, formed under the Community Safety and Policing Act (CSPA) which came into effect in April of this year, includes representatives from Clearview, Springwater and Wasaga Beach. The board is comprised of 11 members, three from each participating municipality and two provincial appointees still to be named.
At the inaugural meeting on Oct. 28, Wasaga Beach Mayor Brian Smith was named board chair. Clearview Mayor Doug Measures will serve as vice chair. Marty Beelen represents Clearview council and Bill Plewes is the local community representative.
Measures says the new board presents a real opportunity to build on the great relationship the township has with the OPP.
“We’ll be able to work with them on strategic policies to service our communities even better,” he said.
Local politicians hear plenty of complaints from citizens about things like speeding, aggressive drivers, and four-way stops.
“We passed those concerns on to the OPP, but in the past, the relationship with the commanders felt one way,” said Measures. “There was lots of reporting from the police, but no opportunity for us to create directed enforcement in response to community concerns. Now, we will have their ear, and they will know it is important.”
At the first meeting, board members were sworn in, and Smith says they won’t start getting down to the nitty gritty until the next meeting, likely in early December.
“We need to figure out what our powers are and what they aren’t, and determine what do we really want to be focusing on,” said Smith.
The CPSA legislation replaces the old Police Services Act, under which each municipality contracted separately with the OPP for provision of services.
Under the previous advisory committee system, the municipalities received policing statistics and could discuss issues and offer advice, but had no actual input into the direction of the detachment’s activities.
Among its responsibilities, the board will consult with the Commissioner of the OPP regarding selection of a detachment commander, determine objectives and priorities for the detachment in line with the strategic plan of the Ministry of the Solicitor General, and issue an annual report regarding the services provided to member municipalities.
Smith says as detachment boards work on providing better policing for the communities they serve, a major concern is the size of the force.
“We are told that there is a real shortage of officers within the OPP, and all 239 municipalities that are policed by the OPP have been warned to expect a 23 per cent increase in policing costs for next year,” said Smith.
According to figures obtained from Clearview’s treasurer Kelly McDonald, Clearview township budgeted $2.22 million for police services in 2024. The proposed 2025 budget is at $2.7 million, to reflect the 23 per cent increase. McDonald says the topic will be on the agenda at the Nov. 19 budget workshop.
