The chief may have cold feet, but the Hamilton police services board isn't yet ready to spurn an invitation to walk down the aisle with Haldimand County.
Board members last week asked Chief Brian Mullan to prepare a report on the benefits and drawbacks of assuming policing responsibility for their southern neighbour, including in strife-ridden Caledonia.
Haldimand Council is inviting both the Hamilton and and Niagara police services to bid on its policing contract, presently held by the Ontario Provincial Police.
Set to expire next September, the deal provides for 60 OPP officers and five civilian support staff for about $7 million per year. It covers an area larger than Hamilton that has 46,000 people and includes Cayuga and Dunnville.
Haldimand Mayor Marie Trainer told Hamilton Community News the decision to tender the contract reflects residents' anger over the behaviour of a supplementary OPP force brought in to police First Nations dispute over the Douglas Creek Estates land in Caledonia. Although the situation is improving, local perception is that many of the additional officers have taken the natives' side and viewed their stay in "Cashedonia" as little more than a chance to make extra pay, she said.
The province is covering the estimated $60 million it's cost to provide the additional policing since February of last year.
"The impression was that there was two-tier justice. If there was a confrontation, they had their backs to the natives, protecting the natives from the Haldimand residents," Ms. Trainer said. "That made people mad, just that gesture of facing the non-natives who were actually paying the taxes for them being there. There was just a whole bunch of things that just made them hate that extra force."
Ms. Trainer said a move to blend the local and supplementary force should help matters, but her council remains serious about looking at alternatives.
Also "thrown into the mix" is OPP boss Julian Fantino's public statement that he will recommend the province not renew the contract, she said, as well as the possibility of going it alone if Hamilton and Niagara are not interested.
"We have to decide how far we want to go," Ms. Trainer said. "We're quite happy with our (regular) local OPP officers, so there's a lot of thinking to do."
Chief Mullan told police board members expanding into Haldimand poses several logistical challenges, including finding enough officers to do the job.
Though some OPP officers may want to make the switch, many may choose not to do so, especially those in the supplementary force, he said.
Add in the need to harmonize radio systems and purchase vehicles, and "the impact of going through even the early stages of the proposal could be significant, if not enormous," he said.
"The utility to this service and to this community, I suggest, is minimal to nil," Chief Mullan said.
"Given the current demands on our service and what we're facing in the near and broader range futures, I would be recommending to the board at this point, given the information that I have, not to proceed with the proposal," he said.
"We are interested in public safety across the province, but our key is the public safety of this community and the citizens of this community."
But Councillor Terry Whitehead said he believes it's premature to reject the proposal without a more detailed examination.
Costs for cars and other upgrades can be built into the tender price, he said, suggesting the mass purchasing power of a bigger police service could improve efficiencies.
"As opposed to sort of a testimonial, I'd prefer to actually see the numbers than the issues," Mr. Whitehead said.
Feasibility
"I wouldn't mind at least considering for us to embark on the feasibility of entering into a proposal with Haldimand, versus shutting it down completely without all the information."
Board chair Bernie Morelli said he'd also like to see "much more substantial" data but has reservations.
"One of the concerns that I do have is that I think that we want to make sure that as we go down this road that we are involved in something that has some potential reality," he said.
"The last thing I want to do is to start to pit service against service."