DRYDEN, Ont. — The sole remaining small-town municipal police service in Northwestern Ontario will conclude its operations on Thursday.
At 6 a.m., the City of Dryden's transition to Ontario Provincial Police will officially take effect.
After protracted studies, Dryden council voted in July 2021 to contract policing to the OPP in order to save money in the long run.
Starting in 2024, annual operating savings will be an estimated $1 million.
The OPP will also increase the number of available officers.
Dryden's per capita policing costs were considerably higher than the average of five benchmark communities served by the OPP.
The municipal police service had 19 sworn officers and five civilians.
An OPP spokesperson said Wednesday that all uniform members of the DPS who applied to transfer to the OPP were accepted.
As of Thursday morning, all policing services will be carried out from the OPP's Dryden detachment on Highway 17 East.
The detachment commander is Acting Inspector Ed Chwastyk.
The demise of the Dryden Police Service leaves the City of Thunder Bay with the only municipal police service in the Northwest.
