ESPANOLA—Following more than a year of speculation, analysis and public meetings, the Espanola town council unanimously voted to accept the OPP costing proposal during the council’s April 24 meeting. The original request for a costing (a detailed calculation of what switching to an OPP contract would cost) was submitted to the Ministry of Safety and Community Correctional Services in January of 2015. There is no impact on Island policing anticipated from the change.
“The loss of provincial grants combined with the costs to provide policing service to a small community like Espanola was the deciding factor,” said Deputy Mayor Councillor Bill Foster in a release (Mayor Ron Piche was not at the council meeting). “We recognize and acknowledge the excellent service that is provided by our officers and civilians working under the Espanola Police Service and we thank them for their longstanding commitment to our community.”
A full transition to OPP is anticipated to take place by January 2019.
As to what this means going forward for members of the current Espanola Police Service, the answer is mixed.
“Our current officers will be eligible to apply to the OPP,” said Espanola CAO Cynthia Townsend, “they will have to complete the OPP’s screening process, training and probationary period. We have been told that all officers in good standing are expected to transfer over.”
The same opportunity will not be available to the civilian staff and chief. “Unfortunately, it will be the chief’s position and the civilian staff (four full-time and three part-time) that will not transfer over.”
For those employees, there are contractual agreements to address severance payouts, noted Ms. Townsend, who said that those payouts “have been included in the financial analysis.”
In the end, it was the fiscal bottom line that won the day for council in the decision to contract police services from the OPP. The contract is anticipated to save the town coffers some $5 million over the course of the next decade.
Among the conversations that took place prior to council’s decision was the need for a new police station to house the OPP operations. The current OPP and town police stations were cited in earlier conversations as not being adequate to meet the OPP specifications and the town will be expected to field those costs as well.
“No, no there will be no effect on staffing or coverage for Manitoulin,” said Manitoulin Detachment Commander Kevin Webb. “The administrative centre for the Manitoulin-Espanola detachment will remain here in Little Current.”
There will be some changes, there will be additional administrative staff added to the detachment and it will become an inspector detachment, with an inspector assigned to oversee operations. As for the detachment location in Espanola, Staff Sargeant Webb said that, as far as he is aware, that is still a work in progress. “Whether it will mean building a new facility or upgrading the existing facilities, I don’t think that decision has been made yet,” he said. “It is still undetermined.”
While the vote at council was unanimous, the decision to move to the OPP was not met with universal acclaim in the community. The potential loss of 20 jobs in the community and fears that the contract cost will escalate beyond that anticipated by council were cited as concerns.
Councillors such as Ron Duplessis readily admit that the move will not result in a direct tax decrease for the community, but rather cite the impact would come in the form of reduced increases in the levy.
As for exactly when the transition will officially take place, that remains a work in progress. “We will know more on the transition after our next meeting with the OPP,” said Ms. Townsend. “We do not have any firm dates at this time but the transition period is expected to be approximately six months. The transition must be approved by the Ontario Civilian Police Commission.”
