Midwestern

South Huron mayor disappointed OPP detachments are closing

North Huron and South Huron are both losing their OPP satellite offices.

The one in Wingham closed Monday and the one in Exeter will close on June 29.

Both closures are happening because of the opening of the centralized office in Clinton.

South Huron Mayor and former OPP officer George Finch said he's totally opposed to the closing in South Huron.

"I believe that we need a forward operating base in South Huron. It's a place of safety, it's place for officers to come and meet with people, talk about different issues and quite honestly, use the bathroom and take their lunch breaks if they need to. So I'm totally opposed to closing our detachment without replacing it with some other kind of physical presence," said Finch.

Finch said both North Huron and South Huron are too far away from the hub to be effective and points out South Huron pays $2 million a year in policing costs so he believes there should be a police presence in the municipality.

Finch says he received a call from the detachment commander last month that the detachment would be closed.

"At the ROMA Conference we had a conversation with the OPP and the Solicitor General and the indications were that in 2019 and 2020 the detachment was going to close. However, we were under the impression that they would have a satellite office open up of some kind, but that has not come to fruition yet," added Finch.

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