The Peterborough Police Service Board is looking for more than a $700,000 increase for the police service next year.
“The police service board has approved an overall budget of operating capital of 2.9 per cent over last year’s budget,” said chair of the Peterborough Police Service Board, Bob Hall.
The 2018 proposed budget includes all of the usual ongoing maintenance required from year to year, but board member, Ken East, says it also includes a three-year project.
“To examine the police implications for vulnerable people, we’re talking about children, we’re talking about human trafficking, we’re talking about seniors, we’re talking about persons with disabilities,” East said.
READ MORE: Peterborough mayor plans to rejoin police services board despite ‘contentious’ history
The city recommended that all departments maintain a 1.7 per cent increase, however, the board’s proposed budget is more than what the city suggested.
“It’s roughly $300,000, so for an organization of this type that’s focused on community safety and security we have to have the tools to make sure that people in Peterborough, Cavan Monaghan, and Lakefield, are safe,” said Hall.
READ MORE: Peterborough Police talk human trafficking cases, and how to identify victims
Hall also adds that policing is now a very high-tech field and requires updates to software. The police service hopes to install Hexegon software in all cruisers.
“It’s proven to pay for itself over the long term. It makes police officers time much more efficient. It’s a GPS system but it’s also a system that accesses police records and it just will improve the efficiency of officers’ time,” said Hall.
Wednesday’s meeting was the third budget meeting for the current board and Hall says that once again the budget submitted to the city includes less than a three per cent increase. Hall says historically, that’s “quite an achievement for the board.”
The budget will go to city council for discussion in November.
Comments