Urging Province of Ontario to fund municipalities for Community Safety and Policing Act compliance costs

Councillor Votes

Full Resolution Text

Whereas municipalities across Ontario are required to maintain a police service; and Whereas municipalities across Ontario are required to constitute a municipal board to have policing responsibility for the municipality, or enter into a written agreement for an alternate provision of policing services; and Whereas the City of Peterborough has constituted a municipal board; and Whereas municipalities, across Ontario, with a police service board, are required to “ensure adequate and effective policing is provided in the area for which they have policing responsibility in accordance with the needs of the population in the area and having regard for the diversity of the population in the area” and Whereas police service boards within municipalities where court proceedings are conducted are required to ensure the security of judges, other judicial officials, members of the public participating in court proceedings, ensuing the secure custody of persons in custody who are on or about the premises, including persons taken into custody at proceedings; and Whereas the provision of court security is not part of providing adequate and effective policing; and Whereas the cost of providing court security is a cost of the municipality, regardless of whether all matters originate within that municipality; and Whereas municipalities across Ontario are required to have and maintain critical infrastructure, including appropriate police facilities and equipment, to ensure adequate and effective policing is provided; and Whereas municipalities across Ontario are experiencing increased police operating and capital costs directly related to new compliance and operational standards required under the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019; and Whereas these cost increases stem from provincially mandated requirements — including training, certification, technology, reporting, and staffing obligations — necessary to bring local police services into compliance with the Act; and Whereas municipalities have no discretion in implementing these measures and limited ability to absorb the resulting financial pressures within existing budgets; and Whereas policing is a provincially legislated responsibility, yet municipalities are bearing the brunt of the costs to implement provincial mandates; Therefore, be it resolved that: Council request that the Province of Ontario provide targeted financial assistance to municipalities to offset any additional costs that are directly and demonstrably incurred as a result of compliance with the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019, and not general increases to police budgets; and Therefore, be it further resolved that: Council urge the Province of Ontario to review and reform its current police grant programs to ensure a more equitable distribution of funding to municipalities so that communities with growing populations and expanding service demands receive fair and sustainable provincial support; and Therefore, be it further resolved that: Council request that the Province of Ontario provide stable sustainable funding to offset costs associated with the provision of providing court security services; and That this resolution be forwarded to the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of the Solicitor General, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), the Peterborough Police Services Board Chair, and all Ontario municipalities for endorsement.