Council in Prince Edward County has voted in favour of keeping their local Ontario Provincial Police force.
Councillors heard a deputation from Sgt. Ken Kee of the Municipal Policing Bureau of the OPP regarding the renewal of the contract.
According to Kee, it cost $1.174 billion in 2019 province wide to run the OPP.
He said 64% of that cost, or $752.7 million is for provincially mandated responsibilities such as traffic safety enforcement, criminal investigations, emergency response teams and other specialized responsibilities.
Another $409.6 million, or 34% of the overall cost goes to support staffing costs and detachment staff.
The final one percent is what municipalities are billed for, for their portion of detachment and support positions required to meet their service demands.
Kee said cost is broken down into two categories; base service and calls for service.
The 2020 cost in Prince Edward County for calls for service breaks down to $339 per household.
The cost in Prince Edward County has remained steady since 2015, at the low end costing $330 per household and at the highest costing $341 per household.
Kee noted this is below the OPP average in the province, as this year’s cost is averaging $358 per household.
Council also discussed making revenue generated from monthly Criminal Record Checks be placed into a Police Service Board budget line to increase transparency.
CAO Wallace explained the rational behind this action.
Council approved the renewal of the contract along with the reestablishment of the Community Safety and Well-Being Advisory Board. The committee would ensure the implementation and continuity in the next Community Safety and Well-Being Plan.
CAO Marcia Wallace said their current contract expired in December but the municipality has been given a grace period to get a new contract in place.
