Wanting to get the most bang for it's buck, Amherstburg is reviewing its policing options.
A consultant is being hired to weigh the benefits of keeping its own police force, amalgamating with another force or hiring the OPP.
Councillor Jason Lavigne says MPM Consulting has been hired to assist the Joint Police Advisory Committee. "At the end of the day it was an election issue that came down to dollars and cents and people wanted to see what the value was of our police service. So the committee felt the best way to go was to hire an expert in the field to give us some advice and help us through the process."
"Hiring an experienced consultant allows residents to see all the options the town is considering," says Lavigne. "The Joint Police Advisory Committee decided that if we were going to go down the road of the costing with the OPP, that we should really give residences the chance to look at all the models. Which would include amalgamating with local police forces neighbouring us, RFP out or the OPP costing itself."
The Amherstburg Police budget this year comes in at just under $4.8-million.