COPS SAY CITY CAN’T AFFORD MORE OFFICERS,

and so who is responsible for the safety of the citizens if the cops admit they don’t have enough to protect you?

PUBLICATION: The Ottawa Sun
DATE: 2004.10.22
EDITION: Final
SECTION: News
PAGE: 4
ILLUSTRATION: photo of VINCE BEVAN
BYLINE: DEREK PUDDICOMBE, OTTAWA SUN

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HANDCUFFED BY BUDGET TOP
COPS SAY CITY CAN’T AFFORD MORE OFFICERS, EVEN IF PROVINCE PICKS UP HALF
THE TAB

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IN A PERFECT policing world, Ottawa Police Chief Vince Bevan’s wish list
would include 70 new officers on the city’s streets, battling gangs,
drugs and other crimes.

But even with the provincial government’s announcement yesterday to help
fund the hiring of 1,000 new police officers in Ontario, Ottawa might
not see any new cops because it can’t afford its share of the bill.

Police services board chairman Herb Kreling also said he doesn’t think
the city is in a financial position to hire more officers, even if the
province picks up half the tab.

Because of city budget pressures, Kreling said the police services board
would be prepared to defer the issue of hiring more officers until 2006.

“The reality is today I have no provincial assistance and we don’t have
the affordability to hire the officers in 2005,” said Kreling.

Ottawa Deputy Police Chief Larry Hill acknowledged that municipalities
would rather see the province bear the total cost, “and we’re looking
forward to further discussions with the province on just how that
funding formula will work,” he said.

“But 50% is better than no percent,” Hill added.

Because the application guidelines for municipalities to hire more
officers are still unclear, Bevan couldn’t say when city residents could
see more police officers on the streets.

BIG NEED

But, citing the city’s quickly growing population and public pressure to
add more police, Bevan said extra officers couldn’t come fast enough.

“If we are adding 20,000 new (residents) a year, we have to make sure we
can deliver programs in their neighbourhoods,” he said.

The Ontario government said yesterday that half the complement of new
officers will go to community policing, while the rest will target key
areas, such as youth crime, guns and gangs, marijuana grow ops, domestic
violence and child pornography.

“Some of our greatest challenges — domestic violence, dangerous
offenders, youth crime — remain problems. And new or growing threats –
grow ops, gangs and guns, and the use of the Internet to lure children
into harm’s way — cannot and must not be ignored,” said McGuinty.

The plan will cost the province about $30 million a year once all the
officers are hired.