A report last week on the financial implications should police services in North Bay be handled by the OPP has caught the attention of North Bay’s Police Chief.

Shawn Devine says a city councillor is quoted as saying North Bay is behind the times in terms of technology in delivering 911 services.

Devine says he has a message for police personnel and the community at large.

“We are not behind the times in that regard. And that we provide an efficient and up to date police service including our dispatch services,” he says.

Devine says their communications centre is a state-of-the-art, fully-functioning centre and are ahead of the curve, not behind, in their ability to respond to emergency calls.

He also says he’s prepared to debate the alternative service delivery, when it comes to policing, but it’s important to get the facts out there.

The city’s police chief says service would be impacted if OPP took over policing here.

“But, if anyone is expecting that the OPP are going to come in and be able to provide a lower cost to policing in North Bay without the expectation that there’ll be a lowering in service then I think they’re being very naive,” Devine says.

Sgt. Peter Brunette, President of the North Bay Police Association, says there would be an economic impact if the OPP took over.

“There’s a lot of misconceptions out there by people who think that all of the people employed would stay in the community. That’s not correct. A lot of those families and jobs would be gone,” he says.

Filed under: North Bay Police Services Board, Shawn Devine