No regional police deal for Prescott-Russell gŏđŏ editionap.ca
est per capita rate -- $381 – while The Nation has the best deal -- $105 per per- son. Hawkesbury is the only Prescott-Russell munici- pality that receives no po- lice subsidies. Under the options presented by the police, two municipalities, Hawkesbury and Cassel- man, would save money under a county-wide ser- vice. Hawkesbury’s savings
RICHARD MAHONEY richard.mahoney@eap.on.ca
L’ORIGNAL | Deemed too costly, a pro- posed regional police force for Prescott- Russell has been rejected by united coun- ties council. AtWednesday’s council session, members endorsed a recommendation to discard a region-wide policing contract with the On- tario Provincial Police (O.P.P.). A contract would cost the United Coun- ties of Prescott-Russell (UCPR) about $1.3 million more than the current bills the eight member municipalities now pay the O.P.P., according to an analysis submitted to coun- cil earlier this month. The net costs for a regional police service
would range from $1.7 million to $2.4mil- lion while Casselman could save between $165,000 and $235,000. However, since the six other municipal- ities would face higher bills, the status quo would be the best option, chief administra- tor Stéphane Parisien told council. The town of Hawkesbury first suggested in 2011 that the counties consider a regional constabu- lary. Casselman, Russell Township and The Nation each have O.P.P. service contracts based on a funding formula that dates back to 2003. “While it is surprising that a county-based contract is more expensive than individual contracts,” stated the summary brief, “the explanations provided by the OPP seem reasonable.” The report noted several fac- tors that would contribute to the increased cost, including an increase in the number of civilian support staff members needed for a regional police service. Another factor is that right now Cassel- man, Russell Township and The Nation each have O.P.P. service contracts based on a funding formula that dates back to 2003. But switching over to a regional police force would mean giving up that formula, which worked in their favour, for the current cost- charge formula that would add more than $400,000 to the cost of policing their part of Prescott-Russell. A third factor is that four municipalities in Prescott-Russell enjoy a discount rate for their police service use (PSU) provided a provincial formula for communities that do not have a fixed policing contract. A regional policing set-up would mean losing that discount amounts to close to $400,000 in total. The PSU discount, the 2003 funding for- mula saving, and the projected increase due to extra civilian staff needed all add up to the $1.3 million extra that the UCPR would have to collect from all of its member municipalities to pay for a regional policing contract.
would be $15,477,872 for 2013 compared to the $14,167,565 tab municipalities now pay. O.P.P. representatives have told the counties that while the average rate for policing services in the province is $160 to $170 per capita, the rate for the proposed
county-based contract is $185.42 per cap- ita. From 2010 to 2013, policing costs have increased by 17.6 per cent. Costs per capita vary from $105.62 to $381.67, with an aver- age of $170.59. Hawkesbury pays the high-
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