A Kenora city councillor wants to review the policing situation in Kenora.
Bob Bernie presented a Notice of Motion to council on Tuesday.
Bernie, who was employed by both the Kenora Police and the OPP, says the cost of policing is just too high.
“I feel now that it only makes sense to really look at a bipartisan and unbiased look to do a police service model review and really take stock of what is the best model for our community,” Bernie said after his notice of motion was made at a city council meeting this week.
Bernie explains that he has nothing against the police force, but the costs have been rising exponentially in recent years.
“Look at the best way to spend that money. There is a cost to policing regardless, not matter who provides it. That’s unavoidable. But the taxpayers of Kenora deserve to know if they are being provided the best model.”
The notice of motion calls on city administration to see how much a review would cost, who can do one, and when it can start.
They are scheduled to report back to council by the end of March.
The previous Kenora Police Service was disbanded in 2009 and replaced by the OPP.
Here is his Notice of Motion:
I, Councillor R. Bernie, in accordance with Section 7.12 of Council’s Procedural Bylaw
#157-2022, provided Council with a Notice of Motion for today’s regular meeting of
Council pertaining to a Municipal Police Service:
Whereas the cost of policing services for the City of Kenora have gone up exponentially
each year wherein in 2023 our OPP policing bill was $6,437,146 with the province providing
one time funding support to offset this high policing bill in the amount of $511,417, in
2024 our OPP bill came in at $6,960,519 wherein the province provided additional one-time financial assistance in the amount of $532,475, and in 2025 our OPP bill has increased
$2.358M or 36.7% and come in at $8,786,451 with an additional one-time funding of
$1,721,378; and
Whereas these alarming policing costs have consumed the largest portion of the city’s
budget (8.8% increase in 2025 prior to the rebate), to the point of being unsustainable.
and
Whereas the police budget is inconsistent and unpredictable due to the nature of the billing
model and the fact that it is based on calls for service, overtime, court security, and salaries
and benefits, which are all unpredictable to any degree of accuracy; and
Whereas the fact that the increases to the largest outside agency cost to the city is
unpredictable and not within the control of the city from year to year causes a great deal
of uncertainty to the city’s budgeting process and creates a tension whereas service levels,
major projects and plans are all put on hold until the police budget is released; and
Whereas decisions on the police budget, police core service levels, infrastructure, fleet,
personnel, and service delivery priorities are all made independently without any
consultation from the city make it extremely difficult to ensure policing services are
delivered according to Council and The City of Kenora’s priorities; and
Whereas this lack of control creates a policing model that is not sustainable or responsive
to community needs.
Therefore, Be It Resolved That Council of the City of Kenora hereby directs Administration
to undertake a “Police Services Model Review” to determine the feasibility of establishing
a Municipal Police Service with local oversight and control; and further
That the goal of a Municipal Police Service will deliver the following benefits to the City of
Kenora: modern policing, combining policing with community wellness to create long-term
community safety and wellbeing while meeting legislative requirements, providing agile,
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nimble and responsive police services, organizational efficiency, local oversight and
accountability custom made for Kenora; and further
That the modest size allows it to be nimble and responsive compared to a large provincial
service, ensuring efficient operations and community commitment building important
community relationships while working with multiple agencies to provide exemplary
service to Kenora residents and business owners; and further
That increased local oversight, accountability, and efficiency offered through a local
municipal police services board with local decision-making autonomy creates the ability to
quickly develop policies, programs, and initiatives at the local level to respond to changing
public safety needs and priorities; and further
That the municipal police service is conceptually designed to provide a wide range of public
safety services far exceeding that of historical law enforcement and is positioned to evolve
with the City of Kenora more nimbly including local based criteria for officer recruitment
and retention and overall financial transparency and viability; and further
That the City of Kenora would gain control over cost elements and could more readily direct
costs with increased granularity than what is available today; and further
That a report come forward to Council by Q1 of 2025 identifying details on how a Police
Services Model Review would be undertaken, including costs associated with this review
and timelines for completion of such a review.
