Owen Sound is sticking with its city police service.
City council unanimously passed a motion at its meeting Monday to reject the OPP contract proposal and continue to be served by Owen Sound Police. The decision brought an end to a lengthy process that first started in January 2016 when council looked at all city services and initiated an OPP costing review.
Owen Sound Police Chief Bill Sornberger says the process was “tough” but he's happy with the outcome.
“I'm happy for our people going into Christmas and it's done,” Sornberger says. “(I'd like to) thank council. The Mayor, I have to give him kudos because he said he wanted it over before the end of the year and he managed to do it.”
City council's decision comes about two weeks after a report from Levack Management Consulting Group came forward that forecast the 10-year price tag of OPP at $82.9-million, slightly lower than the estimated $84.7-million cost of Owen Sound Police.
The OPP proposal came with a higher up front cost of $12.5-million in the first year of policing. The projected 2018 Owen Sound Police budget is $7.32-million.
The consultants' report also said upwards of 30 jobs would have been lost in a switch to OPP — mainly those working in Owen Sound Police's dispatch centre.
“We came to the conclusion that we'd rather keep our own police force which I think was probably everyone's wish right from the start,” says Mayor Ian Boddy. “We got some baseline numbers from OPP and some costs we can compare too. It gives us something to work towards. But it's good to get it over with.”
The Owen Sound Police Board has advised city council its willing to perform a service review. Boddy told Bayshore Broadcasting News the goal is to find about $1-million in cost savings in the police services budget.
Police Chief Sornberger says it will likely be the same consultants, Levack Management, performing the service review.
“We do it ourselves every year,” Sornberger explains. “But we need other eyes to have a look at things and make suggestions and we'll go from there.”
