Regional council has nixed a request from the Niagara Regional Police Service for a $213.3 million budget, telling them to find more savings.
On Nov. 14, the Niagara Region’s budget review committee endorsed the police service’s spending plan for 2025, after asking for cuts to the tune of $3.65 million that would come in the form of staggering the hiring of 33 new frontline officers and deferring those salaries until next July.
But that approval was handcuffed on Thursday when regional council was set to approve the minutes from the budget meeting held a week before.
A motion was brought forward by Fort Erie Regional Coun. Tom Insinna to send the budget back to the police board, asking that a further reduction of $1.067 million be found.
He said he’s not telling the NRP how to conduct its business, but he believes “there is somewhere to find some savings.”
Insinna, a retired Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer, said his recommendation isn’t impacting frontline responsibilities of the police.
“This is not putting public safety in danger or jeopardy,” he said. It’s about “what people can afford.”
He said the police budget is about half of the region’s entire spending envelope for 2025.
Insinna was then cut off by St. Catharines Regional Coun. Brian Heit, who said he would support the budget being sent back, but noted that procedurally, council should not be debating a referral. Insinna concurred and a vote was taken, which resulted in the request for the police board to do some more trimming.
The police budget, without the new revisions asked for by council, was set to increase by 13 per cent.
When Chief Bill Fordy made his original request of the region’s budget review committee on Nov. 14, he was asking for a 15 per cent budget increase. He cited a number of factors for needing that increase of resources, such as projections that the region’s population will grow to 700,000 people from the current 530,000 by 2051.
He also said that Niagara being a major tourist destination, and also also home to many seasonal residents, including students from Niagara College and Brock University, are reasons for the proposed increase.
“It would be irresponsible of me to simply maintain the status quo,” said Fordy as he made his request, adding that police have been dealing with ever-increasing workloads in recent years.
There were no top officials from the NRP in attendance at Thursday’s council meeting to hear the budget discussion and referral.
Regional council is also requesting that the provincial government cover 5.7 per cent of the police budget, which adds up to more than $10 million and is equal to changes being mandated by the province.
The police board’s next meeting is Thursday, and it is expected a response will be formed during that time to bring back to regional council in early December.
