Excessive false alarms may bring fines in East Ferris

East Ferris businesses and residents may face fines if the Ontario Provincial Police respond repeatedly to false security alarms at the same address.

The issue and remedies are being discussed at the Municipality of East Ferris Police Services Board, which provided a year-to-date and comparable calls for service report to council last week.

Also submitted to council was the estimated charge for 2021 at $585,774, plus the reconciled 2019 adjustment of $13,333.

“They are looking at possible fines,” Mayor Pauline Rochefort said, noting the practice has reduced the number of calls in other service areas, such as Temiskaming Shores.

Rochefort said the fines are typically issued after the third call.

There were 21 false alarms recorded by the OPP in East Ferris so far this year after a high of 17 in 2019.

Also highlighted was a rash of recent reports of vehicles on Derland Road and Highway 94 being entered and contents stolen from some of them. All 11 vehicles were left unlocked, the OPP said.

Reducing the need for OPP responses is one way of controlling the cost to the municipality.

The 2021 estimate of $585,774 includes a base service charge of $394,884 to cover 2,217 households and 51 commercial and industrial properties. Added on top is the calls for service charge estimate, which comes to $156,721 in East Ferris, plus whatever is anticipated for overtime ($19,061), prisoner transportation ($4,695), and accommodation/cleaning costs ($10,413).

Rochefort said there was trepidation about the OPP costs escalating with the formula being used, but said the fees so far “have not been outrageous.”

As for the calls for service crime statistics, Rochefort said there haven’t been a lot of trouble areas showing big increases other than the false alarms.

“It’s somewhat status quo,” she said, adding “East Ferris continues to be a safe place.”

The Board and the OPP are also currently working together on identifying areas that require further traffic enforcement as a result residents complaining about speeding vehicles.  

The police service board, which has three voting and two non-voting seats, has one municipal representative vacancy to fill after the resignation of Yvette Makitalo. She served for almost 10 years but no longer spends as much time in the community.

Members of the public interested in applying should communicate with municipal clerk Monica Hawkins.