Neither the Chatham-Kent or Windsor Police Service will be taking over as the new police service for the Municipality of Leamington.
In June 2020, Leamington council voted to give notice to the Ontario Provincial Police indicating that the municipality will not renew its policing contract with the agency. Leamington issued a request for proposal (RFP) to to the City of Windsor, Municipality of Chatham-Kent, the Town of LaSalle and the Solicitor General to contract police services in September with a deadline of December 11, 2020.
According to a report coming to the Leamington council on Tuesday night, the municipality received two proposals, one from the Windsor Police Service (WPS) and one from the Chatham-Kent Police Service.
"At the conclusion of this process, although both proposals described similar levels of service, the report of MPM Consulting identified the WPS as the preferred proponent," read the report. "The proposal submitted by the WPS indicates that it meets or exceeds all standards as prescribed in Ontario Regulation 3/99 Adequacy and Effectiveness of Police Services and that the proposal ensures that the municipality would receive a level of service that meets or exceeds these required provincial standards."
However, Leamington administration is recommending that council do not accept either due to the "enormous financial impacts."
According to the report, accepting the Windsor Police Service proposal would result in a tax increase to ratepayers or drastic cuts in current municipal services to residents.
Staff estimate that the Municipality of Leamington would pay more than $11 million over the term of the five-year contract with WPS than it would for the expected OPP costs.
"The incremental cost of the WPS proposal, if council chooses to accept it, is only appropriately funded through an increase to the general tax rate or through the reduction of current municipal services," stated the report. "If council chooses to accept the WPS proposal and does not wish to raise the municipal tax rate by 13 per cent, this will mean very difficult decisions to determine which municipal services continue, and which existing municipal services will no longer be provided to residents."
During a presentation to Chatham-Kent council in December 2020 about the proposal, Chatham-Kent police Chief Gary Conn said its terms had to be kept confidential and limited details could be shared, including specifics regarding finances and budget
The contract termination between the OPP and Leamington will become effective on June 9, at which time provincial police will continue to provide policing services to the municipality pursuant to section 5.1 of the Police Services Act.
"Enhanced policing options will remain available to municipalities that are serviced by the OPP once the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019 comes into force in early 2022," stated the report. "It is recommended that the Municipality continue to explore these options with the OPP and continue to hire paid duty officers when necessary and appropriate."