Penetanguishene Mayor Doug Leroux has finally received a response from Solicitor General Sylvia Jones regarding superjail policing costs.
In a letter that comes mere days after the Town of Penetanguishene asked residents to write Jones about the issue it says could mean a large tax increase for the municipality, MidlandToday received a copy of correspondence sent to Leroux regarding Central North Correctional Centre (CNCC) policing costs.
“As you know, program funding for police in correctional institutions was discontinued in 2019,” the letter to Leroux begins. “While police officers continue to be responsible for calls for police response at CNCC, front-line correctional staff were always responsible for the security of our operations, including responding to and managing incidents of violence, suspected contraband, and medical emergencies.
“To assist the Town of Penetanguishene with this transition, the province has agreed to continue to pay the invoices related to the CNCC policing costs for the 2020 and 2021 calendar years.”
In its correspondence asking residents to write the Solicitor General, the town said that the (CNCC) policing cost increase remains a top priority for Penetanguishene staff and council.
“Over the last year, Mayor Leroux has made several efforts to engage thoroughly with the Solicitor General (Jones) and our local MPP Jill Dunlop about this very issue, including a letter sent directly to the Solicitor General on Oct. 12, 2021,” the town’s note stated. “To this date, (Simcoe North) MPP (Jill) Dunlop’s office has acknowledged receipt of the letter, but very little progress has been made toward engaging in meaningful discussion. Mayor Leroux is awaiting a reply to his follow up note dated Oct. 28, 2021.”
In her letter to Leroux, Jones goes on to note that correctional facilities are part of the communities where they reside, and that more than 600 people are employed at CNCC.
“When there are situations requiring emergency services, whether it be police, fire or paramedic, the local agencies are contacted to respond,” she wrote. “Going forward, the Town of Penetanguishene will be responsible for its policing costs, as municipalities are responsible for ensuring and funding the delivery of policing services within their jurisdictions.”
Jones noted that the town met with OPP officials and on July 14 council ratified the recommendation to change to the OPP billing model for recovery of costs of police services provided to CNCC.
“This billing model is to be implemented in January 2022 and was recently updated to mitigate the associated costs to municipalities through the appropriate assessment and classification of certain incidents as ‘police information',” the letter stated.
Under the OPP billing model, incidents that are reported to police and do not require a police response to the correctional institution are classified as ‘police information,’ which is considered a base service and, therefore, doesn’t directly cost the municipality.
“The move to the OPP billing model for policing CNCC brings it in line with other correctional institutions located within municipalities that are policed by the OPP," Jones said.
“As you are aware, the OPP calls for service billing model for policing for CNCC has potential to save taxpayers’ dollars, as compared to the cost that would result if Penetanguishene continued with the billing methodology previously used at CNCC," she added.
Jones said she has directed her ministry to work with the town to understand impacts and will re-evaluate costs six months after the OPP billing model goes into effect.
Dunlop also sent out a response to Jones’ response nine minutes after the Solicitor General's office forwarded Jones' letter. The local MPP pointed out she has heard from constituents in Penetanguishene regarding the changes to policing costs for the superjail.
“While I know that some residents have raised concerns regarding these changes, I understand that this decision was to bring Penetanguishene in line with the other 20-plus communities which play host to provincial correctional facilities and which pay the cost for policing,” Dunlop said.
“Nonetheless, I have been working with the Solicitor General to help address the concerns that have been raised, and am pleased to share that she has directed staff at her ministry to re-evaluate the impacts of the billing costs for policing Central North Correctional Centre every six months, based on the actual fiscal impacts incurred," Dunlop added
