York Regional Police 3.7% budget hike request turned down by board

Yorkregion.com
Oct. 22, 2015
By Jeremy Grimaldi

Wayne Emmerson is determined to keep this year’s regional tax levy under 3 per cent, and he’s starting with the police budget.

The new regional chairperson struck a rare tone of dissent in the police services board budget meeting yesterday, explaining he was not satisfied with York Regional Police’s 2016 3.7-per-cent increase request.

“I can’t support that shortfall; we’re going to have to find some funding,” he told his first police budget meeting.

“I have to look at all departments, not just one.”

He said in 2016, he was asking all departments to keep their increases at or below 2.85 per cent.

To ensure that, Emmerson asked the board to support a police suggestion to start forcing insurance companies to pay for accident reports completed by the service’s collision reconstruction unit.

Up until now, police have been losing millions of dollars each year, writing up the mandated reports and then watching insurance firms not bother purchasing them.

If accepted by regional council, along with the budget, the move would mean the insurance provider for the driver deemed at fault in any crash that requires a report would be forced to pony up the cash for the report.

The Emmerson motion was unanimously supported and the increase request was moved down to 2.8 per cent, or $295 million.

The auto insurance industry has warned in the past that these types of measures will force providers to raise their charges.

This is just one of many cost-saving measures taken by the board to ensure police keep costs down.

Some of the other changes include a decision to start charging homeowners for each false alarm that requires police to attend residences.

Although police originally asked for 33 new staff for next year and then a further 87 over the following two years, the request was revised down to 22 new staff each year for the next three years.

In 2016, police will spend $21 million on facilities and renovations, including $17 million to complete the service’s new $30-million training facility in East Gwillimbury, $425,000 on the new radio system and just less than $200,000 on outfitting officers with Tasers. Nearly $700,000 will be spent on a new engine for the force’s helicopter and $1.8 million of the $8 million being spent on a new marine unit headquarters is tabbed for next year.

Emmerson added he was “disappointed” with the province lowering its court security and transportation fund provided to police, which means the region will now have to foot the bill.

However, referencing Prime Minister-elect Justin Trudeau’s win on Monday, he hoped the funding would be reinstated to its previous form.

However, board chairperson Frank Scarpitti explained he believed changes may be in the works.

“We’ve seen reductions based on how the economy is going. There may be harsh realities at other levels of government, too,” he said.

A major topic of conversation of late has been the region’s $2.5-million budget, which is expected to grow to $2.9 million in 2017.

In 2017, the police budget outlook will finally breach the $300 million mark and rise to $306 million and then $318 million in 2018, reports show.