The Timmins Police Association is speaking out against the exploration of the OPP costing for the city.
Ward Five Councillor and Mayoral Candidate, Todd Lever, says he wants to look into how much the OPP would cost if they were to take over the policing for the city, and if there is a potential saving there. Lever says he at least wants to do the financial analysis to see if a switch would possibly save taxpayers money.
Steve Black, also a mayoral candidate and ward five councillor, says the city is large enough to maintain our own police force, and there would be a loss of control if the OPP were to take over. He says the Timmins Police is part of community involvement, and does programs the OPP wouldn’t, like the DARE program. He also says the city would have no control over wage increases, which could drive the cost up.
The Timmins Police say they provide a range of services no one else would give 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
