The president of the Ontario Provincial Police Association says he is looking forward to working with the provincial government to ensure the OPP gets its fair share of 2,500 officers promised in this week's federal budget.
Karl Walsh said the province has shown leadership in this issue, and now it is time to follow through to secure the federal funding being offered to provinces so that the OPP staffing crisis can be addressed.
"The OPP can demonstrate it is short 500 officers on the front line.” Walsh said from the Barrie offices of the OPPA. “We don't have a lot of detail right now on the Ottawa offer, but the announcement for the funding is still an opportunity for the premier to begin working on his promise to deliver additional frontline officers when the federal government makes it happen.”
Staffing levels in the OPP have not kept pace with changing demographics, and the number of calls for service. In the 2005 Provincial Auditor's Report, most OPP detachments were found to be understaffed, given their overall policing responsibilities, and that the number of calls for service had increased 30.9 per cent. Walsh said frontline staffing shortages in the OPP are common provincewide.
"The public believes safety is a priority, and our frontline members have been providing the best service they can to the communities we serve, but our members are stretched too thinly," Walsh said.
The Ontario government recognized the situation in July 2007 when it announced publicly that it was committed to working to get its fair share - about 500 - of the officers provided by the proposed federal program.
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