Duane Hicks
In response to a question from council as to why the Town of Fort Frances seemingly has a higher-than-average number of police officers, the local Police Services Board is suggesting the OPP make a presentation to council addressing this query and much more.
At its monthly meeting Friday, the Police Services Board discussed the question brought up by Coun. Ken Perry at the Feb. 14 council meeting, when he wondered why the national average for police officers in communities is 2.0 officers per 1,000 people, but the ratio here is about 2.5 per 1,000?
OPP detachment commander A/Insp. Steve Shouldice said he’s spoken to OPP S/Sgt. Rod Case, senior analyst and case manager, and is not aware of any place in Canada where police staffing is based on a ratio.
Rather, it’s based on calls for service—and only after the fact would such a ratio be calculated.
He added the OPP is looking at updating its staffing formula further so it better suits the area policed, as it currently fits southern Ontario better than Northern Ontario.
For example, it does not include Mental Health Act or Liquor Licence Act occurrences, but it does include calls out to alarms going off at residences, which are far more common in the south than in the north.
“So it’s kind of skewed,” admitted A/Insp. Shouldice.
“We’re looking at catering it for a detachment area—let’s get a snapshot of what that detachment should look like in order to be able to adequately and effectively police,” he added.
He also noted S/Sgt. Case is willing to come here and talk to council about staffing, as well as contracts, adding S/Sgt. Case went to Atikokan when it renewed its contract with the OPP.
With the town looking at renewing its contract with the OPP, Police Services Board chair John McTaggart said that maybe council should be provided with more information.
“Would a presentation on adequacy and effectiveness and what that entails for policing, and some of the services that are included in this contract but not paid for as such, to council by Steve [be a good idea]?” McTaggart asked.
“When I came to the Police Services Board, I had very little idea as to . . . what we get for our dollar, and I suspect other members of council are the same, so it wouldn’t hurt,” Coun. Rick Wiedenhoeft replied.
“I know it’s looked at as a line budget item, but what’s entailed in the service—maybe there needs to be a little education,” agreed McTaggart.
He said the Police Services Board will contact council with an offer to bring S/Sgt. Case in to do a presentation on staffing levels, effectiveness, what the OPP needs to deliver as a police service, and even the labour-intensive process of tracking hours of service.
McTaggart added it also might be worthwhile to show the cost of an actual stand-alone police service would be for the purpose of comparing the value the town is getting with the OPP.
Also at last week’s meeting, the Police Services Board received an OPP activity report from A/Insp. Shouldice for January.
Fort Frances OPP saw 274 reported incidents, or 253 actual incidents. These included nine assaults, two auto thefts (auto thefts include ATVs and snowmachines, as well as cars and trucks), seven thefts under $5,000, four counts of mischief, and two impaired offences.
Police also have observed a high number of false alarms at area schools, including 15 at Fort High, 14 at Atikokan High School, three at J.W. Walker, and three at Robert Moore in January.
“The issue, I think, has to do with training the people that are going into the schools to deactivate the alarms before they go off,” said A/Insp. Shouldice.
“It’s a human issue, it’s a training issue,” he stressed.
Fort Frances OPP Cst. Anne McCoy has met with Raymond Roy, manager of plant operations and maintenance for the local public school board, who now will work with principals to address the problem.
Meanwhile, consultation is ongoing for the 2011 detachment business plan, with 50 letters sent out to groups and organizations across the district.
A/Insp. Shouldice also noted the local detachment will have a new canine handler, Chris Halverson, reporting for duty on March 7.
