A contentious and bitter topic may once again become the centre of attention in the City of Dryden.
A Notice of Motion requesting an OPP Costing Proposal is on the agenda for Monday’s Council meeting.
It’s being presented by Mayor Greg Wilson and asks for approval to send a letter to Ontario’s Solicitor General to request pricing for OPP services.
The letter reads that policing costs per household for the City are the highest in the region and represent about 24% of the City’s annual budget.
For 2019, Dryden’s policing costs were $1,265.33 per household, while the average cost for Kenora, Fort Frances and Red Lake were about $727.
In Wilson’s written request he says costs for policing in Dryden have risen at an annual rate of just under 4%, twice the rate of inflation on average over the past 15 years.
He says the recent contract settlement with the Dryden Police Association indicates that the trend will likely continue into future.
Wilson says liability is also a very large financial risk for the community.
His letter states “Should the local Police Service be found liable for an incident, the costs would be born 100% by the community. Settlement costs can be extremely high. Settlements against a contracted force would be borne by the contracted service, not the City.”
It adds “It is evident that in today’s environment with increasing regulations, training requirements and social issues demanding more and more police time, local police services in small communities do not have the depth of resources or the scale of operations to provide cost-effective policing. This is not a comment on the quality of police officers serving our community; it is a comment on the ability of small police forces to deliver services on a cost effective basis.. It is out of their control.”
Council rejected an OPP Costing Proposal last May by a 6-1 vote, with Mayor Wilson the only one in favour of the study.
City Hall remains closed to the public for Council meetings but you can watch it online at https://www.dryden.ca/en/city-services/agendas-and-minutes.aspx?_mid_=16683
