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Orangeville Council to be briefed on pros and cons of OPP policing on Monday

October 3, 2019   ·   0 Comments

By Mike Baker

Mayors and Chief Administrative Officers of other Ontario communities have been invited to participate in next Monday’s  meeting of Orangeville Council to discuss their experiences with policing services and/or the Ontario Provincial Police costing proposal exercise.

Confirmed to attend the meeting are Brockville Mayor Jason Baker, Pembroke Mayor Mike LeMay and Caledon Mayor Allan Thompson. The City of Pembroke transitioned to OPP in 2013. The Town of Caledon is policed by OPP and the City of Brockville continues to be policed by Brockville Police Service after not accepting an OPP costing proposal in 2017.

The meeting will be an opportunity for Orangeville Council to ask questions of these municipal representatives who have experience with OPP policing services and/or have gone through the OPP costing process. 

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Council Chambers in Orangeville Town Hall at 87 Broadway. Council meetings are broadcast live on YouTube, on the Orangeville Council channel, and the meeting will air on Rogers TV Cable 63 next Wednesday, October 9 at 2 p.m.

In a press release announcing the meeting, the Town said members of the public “can forward questions they would like Council to ask the mayors to councilinfo@orangeville.ca.”

One resident has already complained that the planned attendees do not include the mayor of Leamington, who has been critical of OPP policing in the Lake Erie town.

In an e-mail to Mayor Sandy Brown, Stephanie Montforts said she was “somewhat baffled; you and the Deputy Mayor indicate the difficulty accepting and receiving a meeting with other Mayors and it is indicated that the Mayor of Leamington is not only available but willing to address council. Is this your decision or the CAO’s who has been tasked by council?”

Attaching misuses of a special August meeting of Leamington Council, she said the issues discussed “are at the heart of many concerns raised. Why are you not interested in listening to a Mayor representing her public where the OPP are failing?”

She added, “It is clear from the report Leamington is not getting what they asked for. Our council should be able to listen to the concerns of this municipality and be given the opportunity to ask questions before making their decision.”

Mayor Brown replied by email that while the Town “will not be reaching out to Mayor [Hilda] Macdonald – we have set our schedule – if Mayor Macdonald would like to reach out to me I certainly could give her some advice about a Local Police Force – sounds like she needs some guidance.   As far as her particular issue of trying to police over 500 sq km in the Municipality of Leamington with only 6 officers, OPP has proposed that they will provide 6 constables and a sergeant (a compliment of 7 officers 24/7) looking after our 15.6 sq km territory instead of the 3 or 4 that are the current Orangeville police complement.”  

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