
August 21, 2020 · 0 Comments
By Mike Baker
Orangeville remains on schedule to transition its policing services to the OPP on Oct. 1 according to Town CAO Ed Brennan.
Another important checkpoint was reached last week when the Orangeville Police Association came to terms on a new contract that covers the 40 uniformed officers and 26 civilians currently employed by the Orangeville Police Service, until Oct. 1. OPS staff had been working without a contract since their previous one expired on Dec. 31, 2019.
The new contract, backdated to Jan. 1 of this year, will see the OPA officers and civilian staff who won’t be transitioning to the OPP to receive a 2.25 percent pay increase, as well as other educational allowances and severance entitlements.
“We are pleased to announce that the Orangeville Police Services Board has agreed to a 2020 contract with the Orangeville Police Service,” said Orangeville Coun. Todd Taylor, who also serves as chair of the Orangeville Police Services Board. “Full details of the financial impact of this agreement will be shared once the OPP has made their hiring decisions, and the full cost of disbandment has been realized.”
In a report presented to Council on Monday, Mr. Brennan said the staff transition and recruitment process was well underway, noting the OPP’s Career Development Bureau has completed the final review stage for uniform applicants. Offer letters will be sent out to applicants the week of Sept. 7. Orangeville Mayor Sandy Brown previously told the Citizen that 33 of the 42 officers currently employed by OPS had applied for positions with the OPP.
It is expected that all officers who receive offers from the OPP will begin a four-week training course at the provincial force’s headquarters in Orillia in early October. A tentatively scheduled graduation ceremony for the new recruits has been set for Oct. 30. Throughout the month of October, Orangeville will be policed by out-of-town members of the OPP.
It has now been more than seven months since the majority of Orangeville Council, in a 6 to 1 vote, decided to disband the OPS in favour of adopting a policing model run by the OPP. It has been estimated the Town will save as much as $58 million by 2036 by transitioning the provincial force.
All engineering and architectural designs for required upgrades at the Orangeville police station, located on C-Line, have been completed, with work currently underway. It was estimated back in 2019 that renovations of the facility would set the Town back approximately $1.2 million, with Mr. Brennan stating on Monday that he expects to project to be completed within budget.
In total, the Town is on the hook for approximately $7.5 million in one-time transitional costs this year, covering the renovations, severance to OPS staff and the purchase of new equipment and vehicles for the OPP. The bulk of those costs will be covered by municipal reserves. Mr. Brennan has predicted that any money taken out of reserves will be replenished over a five-year period. A consultant hired by the Town to take a deep dive into the financials of both OPS and OPP predicted the municipality would, by 2024, save an average of $4.66 million annually by transitioning to the provincial force.