DRYDEN, Ont. — Years of debate have culminated in a decision by Dryden city council to replace the municipal police service with contracted policing by the OPP.
Council voted 6-1 Monday night to accept a costing proposal submitted by the OPP.
Supporters of the motion noted numerous benefits, in particular an estimated one million dollars in annual operating savings after 2024, and an increase in officers on regular patrol.
Dryden's current per capita policing costs are far in excess of the average of five benchmark communities serviced by the OPP.
Councillors said eliminating the municipal police force is not a reflection of the work that its officers have done, but the community requires policing resources it can no longer provide on its own.
Only Councillor Shayne MacKinnon, the former police chief, voted against switching to the OPP.
Mayor Greg Wilson thanked the Costing Committee that spent the past eight months studying the issue.
He said the committee was directed to provide a professional, transparent report that included public consultation and "thorough sourcing of accurate information" from a variety of organizations and stakeholders.
When the Dryden Police Service is disbanded, the City of Thunder Bay will be left with the only municipal police service in Northwestern Ontario.
