The consultant reviewing policing in Northumberland County will make their first report to County Council at their meeting on 17 April. The report describes what they plan to do and gives a final report date of “the second half of 2024”. The project was initiated in January 2023 when Brighton Mayor Brian Ostrander moved to include $75,000 in the budget to “update the 2007 Policing Study Final Report for Northumberland County.” He was supported by Mayor Lucas Cleveland, Port Hope’s Mayor Olena Hankivsky and Alnwick/Haldimand Township Mayor John Logel. The presentation by the consultant, StrategyCorp, points to options to be considered and criteria to be evaluated including “what next steps could be considered to support effective public safety services as Northumberland grows and changes.”
Options to be considered
- Status Quo – Maintain the current state
- Amalgamation – Create a new consolidated service for some (e.g., through the creation of an amalgamated service for Cobourg, Port Hope – Ward 1 and Ward 2, and Hamilton Township) or all of Northumberland
- External Option – Empower a neighboring police service (e.g., Durham, Peterborough) or the OPP to provide services for the entire county
- Other potential opportunities that represent the best option for policing in Northumberland
Each scenario will be evaluated based on its advantages and disadvantages, focusing on both cost implications and service quality. Full costing is not included although the report will “examine key cost and performance drivers of policing and provide a fair analysis of the current costs and future risks”.
The impact of the Cobourg Police Business unit is not mentioned. This would be a major consideration in any merger or take over.
Project Methodology
Interviews: Engagement with key stakeholders, such as police Leaders (Chiefs / Detachment Commanders), other public safety representatives, and mayors, will be conducted through structured interviews, providing an understanding of their perspectives and priorities, crucial for shaping the direction of the project.
Data and Document Review The identification and review of relevant data and documents for the three police services as well as peer benchmarking will be used to facilitate the development of a detailed comparison of the scenario options.
Information Sharing An information page about this project has been created on Northumberland County’s Join In Northumberland website. It includes an overview of plans and timelines, a Link to today’s presentation, an opportunity for people to subscribe to the page to receive any future updates, and an email address for people who have questions or comments. (Not yet online)
Council Presentation In the second half of 2024, the draft report will be presented to Northumberland County Council. This will allow for a thorough review and discussion, ensuring alignment with the community’s expectations and priorities.
This is a slow process but the consultant has good credentials so hopefully will make a good recommendation and not just tell us what the Police Chiefs want. Remember the Cobourg Police Board statement in February 2023: “Cobourg Police Service Board does not support any further study on County wide policing.”
Resources
- Presentation to County Council on 17 April
- County looking at Northumberland Police Force – 3 February 2023
- Police Review and other concerns – 1 March 2023
Update
17 April 2024. Here is the report by the County on this subject – very little new.
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