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First, let the people know

June 16, 2017   ·   0 Comments

OUR CONFIDENT EXPECTATION is that next year’s municipal election in Orangeville will include a referendum on the subject of local policing.

That being the case, we think Orangeville Council and/or MPP Sylvia Jones should find out how it was that the Ontario Provincial Police were able to offer policing services comparable to those provided by the town police at a fraction of the cost.

As we see it, there is a policy in place to see the OPP expand into cities and towns, whether or not the local police forces are well-run and competent.

We would have no problem with such a policy if it were publicly disclosed and provincial taxpayers were told how much the subsidization is costing them.

If indeed this is a matter of government policy, it should be explained. On the other hand, if it’s just a policy that has been adopted by the OPP’s senior management, similar disclosure should surely be made during debates over the government’s spending estimates.

In the circumstances, full disclosure should take place before Orangeville or any other Ontario city or town looks at having the OPP do their policing.

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