Despite some fierce opposition from the town's Police Services Board, work will continue to pave the way for the OPP to replace local police, says West Nipissing CAO Jay Barbeau.
The police board issued a statement last week stating it was not giving up the fight, despite the Municipality receiving a decision from the court that the Police Services Board’s application for a judicial review was dismissed.
See: Despite court ruling, West Nipissing police battle to continue
"OPP confirmed that intake and disbandment will take place in February 2019. The Municipality will continue its progress to support Council’s decision," said Barbeau on the town's website.
But Police Board Chair Barry Bertrand responded that it's still not a done deal. "The one important thing is there is still a 'stay.' They cannot proceed for another 30 days which gives us the opportunity, if the Board decides, to review the results of the court case itself. So the actual press release was a little misleading because at this point in time they cannot proceed with anything."
Barbeau disagrees.
"That's an interpretation that Mr.Bertrand has," he told BayToday. "We have, and continue to move forward with the wish of council with respect to preparing for a smooth transition with the assumption that the stay will be lifted. If it's not lifted council has directed me to do work for naught, but in the interim, council passed a bylaw and made a decision last year. Plans have been underway for the past year to move both the new building forward and the temporary location forward to satisfy the conditions and wishes of the OPP, which is our future delivery model."
Barbeau contends that the stay means that the municipality can't move forward on entering into any agreement that would be binding until the stay is lifted.
"We cannot move forward on any concrete agreements before the stay is lifted. In terms of planning and making expenditures, that's completely within the purview of council to do."
He also takes issue with Bertrand's comment that West Nipissing citizens would be without a police station for up to two years.
See: West Nipissing will not have a functional police station for at least 1-2 years says police board
"That's a political comment," scoffed Barbeau. "The OPP are providing adequate and effective policing and are responsible for satisfying all legislation and all regulation in the province of Ontario for the municipalities they preside over. They police 320 municipalities. The responsibility of council is to provide them with suitable facilities that would help them satisfy those needs, and that's what we are doing. Council made the decision in the interim, for a brief period of time, that we will be providing them a temporary facility that satisfies their needs."
Barbeau says the details of how policing will be offered will be conducted by the OPP according to a police board.
"It really isn't for me to tell the OPP how they are going to be offering policing. That will be up to the OPP to ensure they are providing adequate service that our residents expect."
Barbeau says the municipality is still shooting for a February takeover.
