The Municipality of Meaford staff have brought forward a review of their policing
Meaford council will receive a staff report this evening during a council meeting that reviews the current policing services model and provides recommendations on how to proceed.
Staff were asked to produce this report before March 2020 back in November of 2018.
Meaford has been utilizing the Ontario Provincial Police on a non-contract basis since 2013 and even contemplated using the Owen Sound Police Service in 2014, a move the current staff report recommends not revisiting.
The staff report outlines some of the changes that will take place with the new Community Safety and Policing Act that will allow for more community involvement with policing services.
These include being able to establish Police Service Boards by both detachments and Municipalities who are not on an OPP contract.
Non-contract communities will also be able to request enhanced police services under the new act.
Lack of community input on police services within Meaford has been a talking point in recent years, one the municipality began tackling in 2019 by developing a Community Policing
Advisory Committee.
Council will receive the report this evening and may begin to discuss next steps.