Next year's Chatham-Kent Police Service budget is up almost $1-million, at a proposed $29.5-million.
The $823,000 increase is a 2.87% hike from last year. However, with over $300,000 in surplus cash remaining from previous years budgets, the increase in required funding sits at just over $500,000 or 1.76%.
Chief Dennis Poole says the board has gone through the budget with a fine tooth comb trying to find any possible savings. "Policing is becoming more expensive and we have to respond to that by finding more efficient ways of working, be it working through our technological advances or re-engineering how we do certain things," says Poole. "So that's what our emphasis has been on over the last number of years and we've certainly made some progress there to mitigate those increasing financial challenges."
Poole says the board has been able to eliminate seven officer and civilian positions combined over the last couple of years to save taxpayers money, but says the organization is as lean as can be now and would have to start cutting front line staff to find additional savings. The budget will now be presented to council in the new year for approval.