THUNDER BAY – The city’s police service is proposing a 3.2 per cent increase to its operating budget.
The Thunder Bay Police Service will present City Hall with a 2016 operating budget of $38.9 million on Feb. 17.
That represents an increase of about $1.2 million over last year’s budget, which ran $865,000 over budget.
“Our wages account for 92 per cent of that budget," said Police Chief J.P. Levesque.
"Based on the new, five-year collective agreement the board just signed with the police association, last year’s retroactive pay and this year’s wage increase basically eats up that whole 3.2 so there have been relatively no increases to the budget except the wage accounts.”
A powerpoint presentation the police made to its board claimed unforeseen expenses contributed to the rising cost of policing.
Those included major criminal incidents like homicide cases, cold cases being re-opened, missing persons investigations and organized crime investigations.
Thunder Bay Police laid charges in 10 of the 11 city's 2014 homicide cases but Levesque said personnel costs were high in following those cases through the justice system.
"After the year we had in 2014 with the number of homicides, what we're going to see in 2015 be affected by that is our court costs. The court process is as expensive as the investigative process."
Meanwhile, the service’s capital budget is expected to be near $2 million. The capital budget includes a one-time, $1 million cost for a much-discussed new police radio system.
"Our radio system has reached its end of life." Levesque said.
"We're starting to reach the point where we're unable to get parts to fix it when it breaks down so it's imperative that we get going on that project."
