Binky
05-20-2005, 09:57 AM
Ontario is giving municipalities cash to help hire 1,000 police officers.
KELLY PEDRO, Free Press Reporter
The Ontario government's announcement yesterday it will give municipalities funding to help hire 1,000 police officers is "very positive," London's police chief says.
"We finally see on paper the official commitment, so it's no longer an election promise," Murray Faulkner said yesterday.
The plan will cost about $35 million a year once all the officers are hired by the end of 2007, Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Monte Kwinter said.
The announcement puts a dollar figure to the Liberal government's long-standing commitment, first made during the provincial election two years ago, to help buttress the police presence in Ontario's towns and cities.
But the province is only footing half the bill. Municipalities will be expected to cover the balance of the costs.
New Democrat Peter Kormos noted no officers have been hired since Premier Dalton McGuinty laid out the plan last fall.
"Not one cop was hired as a result of your promise in October '04 to put 1,000 new cops on the streets of Ontario," he told Kwinter in the legislature.
"And that promise isn't going to be kept now, either, because municipalities across Ontario can't afford to pay for your promises."
Kwinter said provincial officials are still working on details with police forces and municipalities. How many officers each municipality will get hasn't been decided.
But recruiting could start in the fall and the first officers should be patrolling the streets next summer, Kwinter said.
Faulkner said the force needs to know if money to pay for the officers would start at the same time as recruiting.
That is crucial, said Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco, adding the city has been waiting for details from the province on the program so that it can budget for the new officers.
"We're really waiting for them to make a firm decision as to when the program starts and when the funding is available. If they want these officers on the street next (summer), there aren't enough spots in the college to get 1,000 officers through in that short period of time," DeCicco said.
Faulkner said although the announcement won't help with this year's budget, the force could see a benefit by 2007.
London police have 534 officers. City council has approved hiring 15 more officers this year. The police services board plans to ask council for an additional 14 officers next year.
The force hopes to get 30 officers under the new program announced yesterday.
The province said half the 1,000 officers will go to community policing, with the rest targeting key areas such as youth crime, guns and gangs, marijuana grow operations, domestic violence and child pornography.
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/LondonFreePress/News/2005/05/19/1046413-sun.html
KELLY PEDRO, Free Press Reporter
The Ontario government's announcement yesterday it will give municipalities funding to help hire 1,000 police officers is "very positive," London's police chief says.
"We finally see on paper the official commitment, so it's no longer an election promise," Murray Faulkner said yesterday.
The plan will cost about $35 million a year once all the officers are hired by the end of 2007, Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Monte Kwinter said.
The announcement puts a dollar figure to the Liberal government's long-standing commitment, first made during the provincial election two years ago, to help buttress the police presence in Ontario's towns and cities.
But the province is only footing half the bill. Municipalities will be expected to cover the balance of the costs.
New Democrat Peter Kormos noted no officers have been hired since Premier Dalton McGuinty laid out the plan last fall.
"Not one cop was hired as a result of your promise in October '04 to put 1,000 new cops on the streets of Ontario," he told Kwinter in the legislature.
"And that promise isn't going to be kept now, either, because municipalities across Ontario can't afford to pay for your promises."
Kwinter said provincial officials are still working on details with police forces and municipalities. How many officers each municipality will get hasn't been decided.
But recruiting could start in the fall and the first officers should be patrolling the streets next summer, Kwinter said.
Faulkner said the force needs to know if money to pay for the officers would start at the same time as recruiting.
That is crucial, said Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco, adding the city has been waiting for details from the province on the program so that it can budget for the new officers.
"We're really waiting for them to make a firm decision as to when the program starts and when the funding is available. If they want these officers on the street next (summer), there aren't enough spots in the college to get 1,000 officers through in that short period of time," DeCicco said.
Faulkner said although the announcement won't help with this year's budget, the force could see a benefit by 2007.
London police have 534 officers. City council has approved hiring 15 more officers this year. The police services board plans to ask council for an additional 14 officers next year.
The force hopes to get 30 officers under the new program announced yesterday.
The province said half the 1,000 officers will go to community policing, with the rest targeting key areas such as youth crime, guns and gangs, marijuana grow operations, domestic violence and child pornography.
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/LondonFreePress/News/2005/05/19/1046413-sun.html