Northumberland County council will take a look at the findings of a study exploring police services in Northumberland, including the concept of having one county-wide force, during its next regular meeting of county council.
The results of the Northumberland County Police Services Review study will be before council on Wednesday (September 18). The county council meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. at county headquarters in Cobourg on Courthouse Road and is also accessible on the county’s YouTube channel and can be joined through Zoom.
StrategyCorp, the consultant hired by the county to undertake the review, completed the study following a four-month process that kicked off in April. Council requested the study be completed to assess current policing practices across Northumberland County and explore potential future service delivery models.
Municipality of Brighton Mayor Brian Ostrander, who currently serves as the warden of Northumberland County council, earlier told kawarthaNOW that having one county-wide police force for Northumberland instead of three separate services was worth a second look.
Ostrander said he proposed to council the motion of updating the 2007 study on the same issue for a few reasons.
“It showed there could be some fairly significant savings if there was an amalgamated service or one contract across the county,” Ostrander told kawarthaNOW. “I wondered if it was of interest to have that study updated, and it was.”
As local municipalities prepare for anticipated regional population growth of 35 per cent over the next 25 years, findings from this study are intended to “support informed decision-making around future policing services,” Northumberland County noted in a media release.
Currently in Northumberland County, the Cobourg Police Service serves the Town of Cobourg, the Port Hope Police Service primarily serves the urban area of the Municipality of Port Hope, and the OPP’s Northumberland detachment (with locations in Cobourg, Brighton, and Campbellford) serves the rural area of the Municipality of Port Hope, along with Hamilton Township, Alnwick-Haldimand Township, Cramahe Township, the Municipality of Brighton, and the Municipality of Trent Hills.
At the meeting, council will review the study that looks at existing service models — considering service levels, operational costs, and evolving community needs — and identifies options for future service delivery.
The review was expected to encompass stakeholder interviews and a thorough evaluation of current policing service levels, operational costs, and existing revenue streams. The goal was to provide recommendations for future service delivery based on options ranging from maintaining existing service structures to consideration of a combined model, the county noted.
Following discussion, county council will decide whether to move forward with the second phase of the project, which would involve a full costing of alternative service delivery models identified in the study.
“Ultimately, any changes to local policing models would be at the discretion of each lower-tier municipality, with whom jurisdiction for police services resides,” the county noted.
To learn more about the police services review study, and to access the report being presented at the meeting, visit joinin.northumberland.ca. For the agenda of the September 18 meeting and instructions on how to watch the meeting or join via Zoom, visit northumberland.ca/council.
