Staff
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is introducing a fairer, more transparent billing model for the municipalities it serves across the province. The new model, which takes effect January 1, 2015, reflects input from the Auditor General and municipalities to more fairly and transparently distribute policing costs.
The model includes two components: base policing costs such as crime prevention, proactive policing, officer training and administrative duties, and cost for reactive calls for service. Base policing will account for approximately 60 per cent of the bill, reactive calls will account for approximately 40 per cent.
This eliminates the large differences in the amounts municipalities were charged and provides municipalities with better data so they can understand the types of calls for police service in their community and direct crime prevention strategies.
The OPP provides policing services to 324 Ontario municipalities. The current OPP billing model was introduced in 1998 and has not been updated in 17 years. The OPP acted on the Auditor General’s 2012 report in revising the billing model.
The average per property cost for OPP services in 2015 is estimated to be $355, compared to an average of $787 (estimated) for self-policed municipalities.
The new model will be phased in over a period of up to five years to allow municipalities time to adjust their budgets.
A fair and transparent OPP billing model is part of the government’s plan to invest in people, build stronger communities and make sure Ontario remains one of the safest places in North America.
