The policing issue has once again risen to the forefront almost six years after the Town of Amherstburg turned to Windsor for service.
The City of Windsor has informed the Town of Amherstburg it is opting out of the current policing contract. Town council discussed it during an in-camera meeting Monday evening and came out of it with several recommendations, including looking at combining with other local services or bringing back the Amherstburg Police Service.
As part of the report out from the in-camera session, Mayor Michael Prue said town council has directed administration to formally advise the City of Windsor the town wishes to have discussions regarding the policing contract post Dec. 31, 2028.
Amherstburg will also seek to meet with the Town of LaSalle to discuss the potential of a partnership or a contract for service with its police service post-2028. The town will also “conduct further investigation into the approximate cost” of the OPP providing service in town.
The town will also prepare an “order of magnitude costing” of re-establishing the Amherstburg Police Service.
There will also be an investigation of the possibility of a regional county police service.
Prue said a report from CAO Valerie Critchley regarding the the policing agreements with Windsor will be released in its entirety. The Amherstburg mayor also read the letter sent by Windsor to Amherstburg during Monday night’s town council meeting that the current contract with Windsor police will not be renewed past Dec. 31, 2028.
The significance of what Amherstburg town council has agreed to means “the town has to act fairly expeditiously,” he told reporters outside of council chambers.
Prue left the door open for renegotiation of the contract with Windsor.
“I’m not going to be held hostage,” he said.
Prue added Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens helped negotiate the original deal.
“It was his deal,” said Prue. “If he doesn’t like it, he can only look at himself.”
Every time the policing costs rose in Windsor, they also rose in Amherstburg, Prue said.
“Now (Dilkens) is saying he’s not making enough money.”
LaSalle is proud of its police force, Prue acknowledged, but Amherstburg will see if they are interested in being in a partnership or another arrangement. He said Monday night they will get an OPP costing, adding other towns in the county who have OPP service received a subsidy from the province to help cover rising policing costs. He called bringing back Amherstburg police as a standalone service is “unlikely” due to the difficulty of hiring 30 officers. He said there will be “overtures” to the county about a regional service.
Prue indicated he likes the concept of a regional service but it is unclear at this point if there is an appetite for that elsewhere in Essex County.
“I don’t know who is going to say yes,” he said.
According to Prue, savings that had been promised under the deal with Windsor didn’t materialized as envisioned.
“The town put money into a reserve for the first couple of years,” he said, but having to purchase new equipment and police radios drastically cut into those. “Those reserves are gone.”
There was opposition when the debate was on about six years ago and Prue said he understands why people spoke against the contracting out to Windsor.
“They people of Amherstburg are understandably upset,” said Prue.
Prue confirmed last Wednesday the town has been informed of Windsor’s decision. Prue, who sits on the Windsor Police Services Board (WPSB) as an advisory non-voting member, said he had no knowledge of it through the WPSB and learned of the city’s decision when all members of Amherstburg town council did.
“We all found out together,” said Prue last week. “The CAO is meeting with the CAO of Windsor.”
When interviewed last Wednesday, the Amherstburg mayor said “We’re not panicking or anything. We’re finding out what is going on. My own reaction? I just shook my head.”
The Amherstburg mayor left the door open for different possibilities, including continuing with the Windsor Police Service.
“If the contract doesn’t continue, we’ll have to look at other options,” he said. “If it does continue, we’re fine. All kinds of things are possible in the world of politics.”
Prue added he is looking forward to what CAO Valerie Critchley has to present to town council in-camera Monday afternoon and, after that, “council will make a decision.”
Councillor Diane Pouget did not participate in the discussions due to a conflict of interest, as she has a family member with the Windsor Police Service.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens told the River Town Times last week that the way the contract was built, it allowed for extension of terms up to 20 years. He said if one side wanted out, they could provide 18 months notice to the other party. Dilkens indicated Windsor is providing four years notice to Amherstburg, as the current contract runs through 2028.
When the city reviewed the dollars and cents of the contract, the Windsor mayor said it no longer makes financial sense for his community. He said Windsor taxpayers have been partially subsidizing policing services in Amherstburg and said if it were the other way around, Amherstburg would feel the same way.
“This isn’t acrimonious for us,” said Dilkens last Wednesday. “This has to make financial sense for us.”
Dilkens said it is a matter of finances and what works for the City of Windsor. There is no provision in the current contract to renegotiate so when city council took the recommendation from the WPSB, they “did the right thing” and opted out.
A letter was sent to Critchley who then brought it to Amherstburg town council, said Dilkens. He added Amherstburg asked for and receives a high level of service but after a few years of policing the town and getting into the “nitty gritty” and “micro-details” of what it takes to do so, they got a better look at the monetary picture.
Amherstburg has options of continuing with Windsor and working out a new deal, going to the OPP which Dilkens believes would give the town a lower level of service, partnering with the LaSalle Police Service or re-establishing the Amherstburg Police Service.
“We’re willing to have conversations to see if there is a pathway forward. We’re not upset,” said Dilkens. “It’s about making the contract make financial sense. We’re very much appreciative of our relationship with the Town of Amherstburg.
Our issue is simple, it’s a financial one. It’s not overly complicated. It’s a dollars and cents issue.”
The town contracted out policing services to Windsor in 2019 after town council voted in late 2018 to proceed down that route. The 3-2 vote from the council of the day saw then-Mayor Aldo DiCarlo and councillors Leo Meloche and Rick Fryer in favour. Jason Lavigne and Joan Courtney, both councillors on that term of council, were opposed. Bart DiPasquale, then the deputy mayor, and Councillor Diane Pouget both declared conflict of interest.
Lavigne recalled being one of the people who was “crucified” publicly for pointing out issues, and said this one of the things that he and others warned about.
“It’s unfortunate but some of us said this would happen,” said Lavigne.
Lavigne said the majority of people he heard from, including police officers themselves, did not want the switch to happen. He questioned what happens now and whether the town has the money in place, should they have to switch back.
“How prepared are you?” he said. “Is there a process ready to go? Is there something in place the public can see? Show us on paper you saved X amount of dollars for five years.”
Other issues, including the mayor not having a vote on the WPSB after the first five-year term of the contract, were also well known, said Lavigne. He said he was among those who raised the issue in 2018 and questions why current council members are upset about it.
“How could you not know about it if you are doing your job?” he asked.
Smaller municipal councils need to take more control of issues province-wide instead of being “glorified cheerleaders.”
Lavigne added when he was on council at the time, he e-mailed Windsor city councillors about how they were selling the switch to their residents.
“No one responded,” he said. “I got crickets.”
As for the current situation, he also questioned who is “leading the charge” and if there are committees in place to further study the matter.
Town council talking next steps as Windsor wants out of policing pact
By Ron Giofu
(Editor's Note: This story has been updated from the initial version that was posted Feb. 20.)
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