CKPS Chief Gary Conn as President of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police at the board meeting in Chatham. Dec 6,2021. (Photo via OACP).CKPS Chief Gary Conn as President of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police at the board meeting in Chatham. Dec 6,2021. (Photo via OACP).
Chatham

Police chiefs are in Chatham discussing new ideas

A group of Ontario's police chiefs are in Chatham this week to talk about various contemporary policing issues.

The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police is holding its Board of Directors meeting on Monday and Tuesday to discuss the new Ontario Police Services Act, diversity, gender equity, guns and gangs, provincial funding, and budgets in order to return home with new ideas and solutions to policing issues facing officers.

Chatham-Kent Police Chief and association president Gary Conn said police chiefs are keeping a close eye on ever-increasing budgets. Conn said the pandemic has wreaked havoc on police budgets making them more challenging to control. He doesn't anticipate police services being cut in the near future but he can't guarantee it won't happen.

"We're not there yet. I'm not one to say never say never. If you're asking me right now, no. No, there has been no reduction in the level of our services being provided," said Conn. "We have to maintain that adequate and effective policing. So, we want to keep our services at least at that minimum but we're always wanting to enhance and increase levels of service. I just think it's going to be more challenging for us in doing that because of COVID."

Conn said police services must find a way to keep costs down while maintaining service levels and added that police budgets aren't going to get any easier especially this year.

"It's going to be exceptionally challenging just because of inflation. Cost of living, it's currently at about 4 or 5 per cent. That's more than double than what's it's been in the last 6 or 7 years since I've been chief," added Conn.

Conn said police chiefs continue to work on the issue of suspension without pay for officers going through serious disciplinary hearings and the legal system and added it's "still a pressing issue" for them. Conn said another pressing issue is guns and gangs.

He said body cameras are also coming for Chatham-Kent police officers and a 3-6 month pilot project will be run in about a year with the intention of having them roll out to frontline officers before the summer of 2023.

Chatham-Kent police will also be expanding the mobile crisis team to deal with increasing mental health calls.

Conn also said municipal policing is doing fine after a trend 10-20 years ago that saw small rural municipalities switch from municipal policing to the OPP to save money.

The association is also looking to be more diversified in the way it enforces the law and deals with the public.

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