THUNDER BAY – City councillors want more options examined before coming to a decision on funding for a proposed new police headquarters. Council voted unanimously to ask police to examine alternatives, including smaller satellite offices, on Monday night.
Coun. Trevor Giertuga, who moved the motion, said based on feedback from constituents, Thunder Bay residents aren’t prepared to see that much spent on the project – at least until they know all other options have been explored.
Coun. Peng You agreed, saying he needed to see more on potential alternatives before making a decision.
“We support our police force and they do a good job,” said You. “But we want to see if we can afford that, and if it’s efficient.”
A report presented to council in March indicated the current Balmoral Street headquarters, built in the mid-1980s and renovated in 1992, is insufficient to meet operational needs or even building code requirements. It presented two options: building a larger headquarters at a new location, estimated to cost $52 million, or renovating the existing Balmoral station, estimated at $64 million.
Councillors including Giertuga and Aldo Ruberto hoped the alternative of adding satellite offices could bring not just savings but greater police presence in areas like the city’s two downtowns.
Deputy police chief Ryan Hughes said while police were willing to examine the option, it had operated neighbourhood offices in the past, but found they did not increase safety.
“We can use the example of the courthouse now,” he told councillors. “We have officers there all the time, and just down the street there’s still a lot of vagrants and crime going around.”
Ruberto pushed back on that assertion.
“I’m not going to contradict the deputy chief, but from an anecdotal point of view, the officers that work at the courthouse are generally in the courthouse, I rarely see them outside,” he said. “I do, however, notice that when a police car stops outside of Victoriaville, people scatter.”
“Police presence does make a difference – it makes a big difference,” the at-large councillor continued. “Having a satellite location in either or both downtown cores I’m sure will help the merchants and the people that shop and live there feel a lot more comfortable.”
Coun. Brian Hamilton supported exploring the possibility of satellite offices, but cautioned the needs of the police force outlined in the March report would likely require the city to spend a significant amount of money regardless.
“I don’t think we’re going to be able to wiggle our way out of a very sizeable expenditure,” he said.
Mayor Bill Mauro, on the other hand, argued the city was not necessarily obligated to act on the report, pointing out that there were a number of municipal assets in dire need of upgrades competing for limited infrastructure dollars.
“I will say there’s [another] option, and that’s do nothing,” Mauro said. “Yes, there’s been an expression that there’s a need for a new facility, which obviously is something we pay attention to – but it doesn’t necessarily mean we act on it.”
“We’ve had a conservatory that’s been in a state of disrepair for 10 or 15 years, and we’ve managed somehow to carry on. The Fort William Gardens, we’ve carried on with that for 10 or 20 years.”
Giertuga’s motion passed unanimously. Hughes told councillors they could expect an updated report, including the option of satellite offices, by mid- to late-September.
