It’s been just over a decade since Belleville council and the wider community had an intense debate regarding who should police the community, the Belleville Police Service or the OPP.
But that discussion could be coming again soon.
Monday, Councillor Paul Carr asked for a staff report outlining the options and process involved for the city to conduct a “value for money” review.
Here are a few of the topics Carr would like to see in such a review.
” … cost effectiveness of operations compared to other municipalities including those under contractual arrangements and outlining costs per property. Service quality including response times in all tax areas, crime prevention and community engagement efforts.”
Tuesday council begins discussions on its 2024 operating budget and the police budget is just over $26.1 million, almost 11 per cent higher than last year.
Quinte West has a similar population to Belleville’s but has a much smaller urban population and a much smaller commercial-industrial sector. It is under contract with the OPP to provide policing and that will cost just under $9.5 million in 2024.
In September of 2013 Belleville council voted five to four to not ask for an OPP costing to police the city.
Most on council then voted against an OPP costing because of the high cost of the change-over to the OPP and the amount of turmoil such a change would cause in the community.
The Belleville Police Service has been in existence for close to 200 years, beginning with two sworn constables in 1836.
