Expansion intrigues top cop  

POLICE CHIEF  

Cornwall Standard Freeholder

28 January 2010

Posted By KEVIN LAJOIE KLAJOIE@STANDARD-FREEHOLDER.COM 

Cornwall's top cop is open to exploring the idea of expanding the city police service into the counties, but he's not so keen on the prospect of the OPP moving into Cornwall.

Police Chief Dan Parkinson said he's a "big believer" in regionalization if it makes sense, and he has some personal experience in it as he lived through a police amalgamation during his previous stint with the Peel Regional Police.

During a budget meeting Wednesday, Parkinson suggested Cornwall police could provide an efficient service to its neighbours at a good cost, noting the salaries for city police officers are below the provincial and OPP average.

If it were to happen, Parkinson suggested the police service would have to start by taking jurisdiction over a small part of the counties -- such as South Glengarry -- as opposed to all of S, D and G at once.

"Let's try the one (area) first and see if we can build on it," he added.

However, Parkinson had a much cooler reaction to the idea of the OPP taking jurisdiction of Cornwall, saying he doesn't subscribe to that idea at all.

"From what I've seen, there are municipalities who have made that move (to OPP) and recognized it as not being a good one," he said, pointing to some communities in northwestern Ontario and the southern Ontario town of Lakeshore as examples.

Once a community switches from a municipal police force to the OPP, it becomes too cost-prohibitive to go back, he added. The OPP has been doing a wonderful job for 100 years, Parkinson ut Cornwall police has also been offering a great service for more than 200 years now.

"The citizens of Cornwall deserve the level of policing we provide and they've become accustomed to," Parkinson said after the meeting.

The police chief's comments were spurred on by Coun. Denis Carr, who wondered if a regional police force based in Cornwall would make sense.

"We do share many services (with the counties) now," said Carr, the chair of council's budget committee.

However, Coun. Mark Mac-Donald suggested if the city is going to look at regionalizing police services, it should examine the issue from both sides of the coin.

MacDonald -- who's expressed a willingness to at least explore OPP options for Cornwall -- put Parkinson on the spot by asking him if he feels less safe when he's outside of the city.

Parkinson, who resides near Glen Walter, responded by saying he feels "relatively safe" traveling in and around Cornwall, and the rest of eastern Ontario for that matter.

At MacDonald's and Carr's request, CAO Paul Fitzpatrick agreed to do some research on what other municipalities are spending for OPP services, however Coun. Andre Rivette urged the city manager to ensure he's comparing "apples to apples."

Rivette said the community is well-served by Cornwall police, and he wouldn't want to see any cuts made that would jeoperdize public safety.

The discussion came as Parkinson presented -- and gained approval for -- the 2010 Cornwall police budget from members of the city's budget committee.

This year's police budget totals roughly $15.8 million, an increase of roughly $740,000 (or 4.9 per cent) over last year. However, $345,000 of that amount is the result of a budgeting error by the city's finance department on the police department's benefit costs last year. With that error excluded, the budget increase comes in under three per cent. Nearly 86 per cent of the police budget is attributed to salaries and benefits.

In presenting the figures, Parkinson noted that recent investments in the police service and its complement of officers -- now at 91 -- is having the desired effect of reducing the number of victims of crime. Crime rates have seen a significant drop over the past five years, with break and enters posting one of the biggest drops, from a total of 740 in 2004 to just 310 last year. The police chief said the break and enter figures offer a true reflection of the success that's being made because it is a "real" crime that will always be reported to police.

The police chief reminded the council members on the committee that it has a responsibility under the Police Services Act to provide an "adequate and effective" police service.

At a minimum, that includes providing crime prevention, law enforcement, victim's assistance, public order maintenance and emergency response services.

"That covers the entire spectrum of what we do," Parkinson said.

Article ID# 2280521

 In the early 80's, CPD had 76 officers for a community of 45000 people. We now have 91 officers for the same population.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #1 By willie191

"with break and enters posting one of the biggest drops, from a total of 740 in 2004 to just 310 last year" Undoubtedly a spurious relationship. This probably has a lot more to do with a brightening of employment opportunities than police presence.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #2 By iconoclast

With so many RCMP in town, how can we have crime?????

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #3 By junglelord

I agree with parkinson. Look at akwesasne and all the problems they have now because the Akwe PD are actually OPP that is when most of the corruption started. Now the Community needs to keep those non members off the reserve to get their peace keepers back to protect their community and rid the presence ot the OPP. If you are not a member of Akwesasne you are a trespasser like that new Akwe that filed a human rights complaint because she wanted the overpaid salary of the Akwes and of course she won because she is white but what she does not realize is she is by legal terms a trepasser. she can be charged under that Federal Law that supercedes Provincial law.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #4 By wakeupcall

Once again WAKEUPCALL you have proven through inaccurate and misleading information that you are a moron!

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #5 By TONTO,

Cornwall Standard Freeholder

28 January 2010

Posted By KEVIN LAJOIE  

CA city councillor believes Cornwall needs to look at all options when it comes to policing services, including the OPP.

Coun. Mark MacDonald said he hopes to introduce a motion at the next city council meeting on Feb. 8 to begin the process of exploring potential partnership or contract opportunities with the OPP. At the very least, Mac-Donald said he would like OPP officials to make a presentation to the city.

"We're at a point where we can't afford to keep going the way we're going, so we have to look at all options," he said. "It doesn't cost anything for them to come down and make a presentation."

While he didn't have any specifics, MacDonald suggested there could be some opportunities for Cornwall police to partner or share services with the OPP in hopes of saving money.

The city budget is getting to a "breaking point," he said, and the situation is "most glaring" when it comes to the city police budget.

"There's got to be some substance to what other options are out there for us as a city," he added.

Coun. Denis Carr agreed the city has to keep a close eye on spending in all areas -- including police -- but he thinks the city should try to seek out feedback from other cities before it starts knocking on the OPP's door.

Carr said the benefit to having a municipal police force is that it allows for more local control and creates more of a personal connection between the officers and the public.

"The police force has a Cornwall identity," he added.

The idea of switching to the OPP could resurface today when the draft 2010 Cornwall police budget is presented to city council's budget steering committee during a meeting at city hall at 1 p.m.

The draft budget, which has already been approved by members of the city police services board, calls for total spending of roughly $15.8 million in 2010, up roughly $740,000 (or 4.91 per cent) over last year. The lion's share of the budget -- about $14 million -- is attributed to salaries and benefits.

The police budget has grown by more than $5 million over the past seven years -- an increase of more than 50%.

Police Chief Dan Parkinson has defended the increase, saying the money has been invested in new officers and policing initiatives, and it has produced positive results in the form of reduced crime levels.

During today's meeting, the council members on the budget committee will also consider a staff report recommending the closure of the two stand-alone wading pools in Adams and Alexander parks this year.

The two aging wading pools are unfiltered, and they must be filled and chlorinated on a daily basis.

A total of 1,561 user visits were recorded at the two pools last year. By closing them, the city could save about $14,000 per year, but there will be a one-time cost $15,000 up front to demolish the pools.

Cornwall's outdoor pools have garnered much attention in recent years as council has attempted to come to grips with declining usage rates and rising maintenance costs for the aging facilities.

A recently-completed Recreation Master Plan recommended closing several other pools when they reach the end of their life cycle and installing splashpads in a few neighbourhood parks.

Carr believes the wading pools at Adams and Alexander parks are becoming prohibitive to repair, and he has no problem with closing them.

"That's really not affecting the (city's) aquatics program," he added.

Article ID# 2278585

 Utilizing the OPP is a great idea. There tends to be less of a People Pleaser Pattern and hopefully less influence by local administration.

Mark there is no cost?

Are you saying that a representatives of the OPP would be coming from head office and they will present this for free? When they submit a time sheet say in SAP perhaps, what they attribute the 2 men for an 8 hour day, travel and the hours spent in preparation of the presentation to?

With the decline of younger populous closing pools is not a bad idea. It seems to fall into the Cornwall business plan of creating a retirement community built on industrial waste.

"That's really not affecting the (city's) aquatics program," he added. That is verbiage manipulation Dennis

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #1 By itinerant

I think the City should first review some of the expenses that were made in the past few years. There's something VERY wrong when our taxes are used to pay for a Harley Davidson for the police service so they can show it off and use it about 2 months a year, when we have to pay an electrician a pretty good chunk of money so he can plug a cord back into an outlet because that outlet is a little too high at a City building, when we hire "consultants" to figure out if we need a new fire station and where it would need to be, when we give our firefighters a "retention pay" when we haven't lost any for 25 years and I could go on and on. We need to grow and spend money wisely. It might be too much to ask.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #2 By G Force

Reduction in the police force should be considered. The force has ballooned in recent years to the point where officers are focusing on minor infractions and additional programs due to lack of things to do. It's the classic case of the work load expands to meet the available time. The police need to get back to basics and put more resources to major crime and less resources to petty crime.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #3 By iconoclast

There is a statement by Dennis about a personal connection between the police and the public. Dennis that statement is completely false. The downtown has been asking for police to walk an old fashioned beat for years, truly make a visible presence in the hub or center of the city. Currently it is hard to see a police officer here unless you call them or are being arrested.

Dennis justify what you said and tell us where this “personal connection” occurs in the city.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #4 By itinerant

Run for Mayor Mark... I'll vote for you... Maybe you can get the firefighters to work on your campaign... or are you still the mouthpiece for Phil?

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #5 By james t

'Innept and ineffective'?

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #6 By Hrolf

Making changes at the Cornwall Police is a better option than asking the OPP for a costing, although this might in fact make the police board sit up and pay attention. There is a problem with a service whose costs increase yearly, but there remains the same number if not less number of police officers on the road. And I mean on the road, not in the office, in management or in a special position that means he/she is not on the road. And explain the need for a full time human resources manager, with the assistance of at least two if not more other officers to do a job that could be done by the city's human resource department. This and other poor decisions like wanting to get a motorcycle simply show the current chief, deputy chief and other top managers need some lessons on fiscal responsibility to us the the taxpayer, but also to remind them that they are there to serve us, not spend our money foolishly. I worry that a lot of the decisions that have been made are to keep up with the big city forces- quit trying to do that, be small town and turn to the OPP as needed. Forget the RCMP whom you have turned to for some time now because of your fear of the OPP, or you will be in the same mess as they are in.

And Mark MacDonald, I wish you would run for Mayor. You are not afraid to challenge but also represent the taxpayer. Not like Bob Kilger who runs the city like his personal kingdom.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #7 By Cornwallresident

Cornwallresident - well thought out and expressed.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #8 By iconoclast

If the numbers show that it is more effect to use the OPP then so be it, but I hope people realize the service level will not be the same. Back approximatley 10 years ago, I believe that the OPP brought forth a number that didn't compare. Typical comment by ICONOCLAST, there must have been a Police Officer somewhere that gave you a ticket for something. Police Services offered to the community are just not taking calls for assault or break and enters. Please educate yourself on what "taxpayers" call for and what an Officer's duties are. Maybe do a ride-a-long one day and see what an Officer does in a shift. Everyone has a right to their opinion, but it appears most of your opinions are based on hear-say and not fact.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #9 By joboo

Joboo, you are correct, I have been the victim of overzealous police. Mostly for landlord tenant matters that were not criminal in nature. When tenants complain about trivial matters, the police jumped to their defense. When the landlord complains, it's suddenly a matter for the Landlord Tenant Board and they have no jurisdiction.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #10 By iconoclast

 well had a couple drink alongs with some of the boys in the past, why not a ride along *lol*

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #11 By itinerant

Mark please run for Mayor so we can get rid of you....

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #12 By funscape

Dennis when you made the following statment

"Carr said the benefit to having a municipal police force is that it allows for more local control and creates more of a personal connection between the officers and the public"

Was it aplicable to this situation?

Cornwall Community Police Service Const. Brenda MacIntosh said a report detailing the investigation into an alleged failure by officers to adequately seek out the family of Doug Thompson, 61, is done, but not quite ready to be released

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #13 By itinerant

Ok, 13 posts. I find it odd that nobody has suggested that we consult with the police service and ask them for suggestions as to how we can tame the spiraling budget.

.

I think at the very least the city needs the police departments input and feedback before taking such drastic measures as considering switching to the OPP.

.

I for one would prefer to keep our own police force.

.

Jamie Gilcig

www.cornwallfreenews.com

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #14 By cornwallfreenewscom,

Sure Jamie, not a bad idea

Let's ask the pyromaniac how to extinguish the fire