The Future of Policing in Thunder Bay

It appears that high crime rates in Thunder Bay have provided a new  impetus for both police infrastructure and operating expenditure growth.  Along with this year’s large budgetary increase, there is now a consultant’s report on a new police station that according to one local media report has “raised eyebrows” at City Council. A French-language report for those with french language facility also provides a very nice overview of the matter.

The issue is two-fold.  First, the report maintains that the current Balmoral Street police station is at the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced by a new and larger – double the size actually - central police station at a new location.  The current facility is old and lacks key facilities like a shooting range, suitable public spaces, a forensics lab and training rooms.  The price tag is for replacing a building that is approximately 30 years old is $52 million and that will be on top of all the other things City Council wants to do on the infrastructure side including a new turf facility.

Second, the report says more space is needed because the current force is likely to grow significantly over the next 20 years in terms of new staffing to meet modern policing styles and needs and the growth is expected to see employment rise from the current 309 to 400 – a 29 percent increase in staffing despite population projections that do not see Thunder Bay population growing much if at all in the immediate future. 

This ask is a big deal.  To start, the capital spending alone for a new station when the existing building is only about 30 years old begs the question as to why the current station cannot be renovated.  True, the consultants say a new build is cheaper in the long run as renovating the existing station to meet needs will cost $64 million.  However, we all know the history of cost estimates when it comes to public sector builds in Thunder Bay.  Both of those numbers are estimates and that $52 million especially will grow considerably once construction begins.  More importantly, if we are embarking on a major spending program for police services, why not take this as an opportunity to revisit the nature of policing entirely in terms of service location? 

A new and bigger centralized station is really a very 1970s concept and characteristic of the post-amalgamation approach to public services in Thunder Bay – a shiny new building in a “central spot” when the population is in two clusters at opposite ends.  If the public likes this, just ask them how much they really like having all the medical services in one spot that always requires a major drive to get to and is not  conveniently accessible by public transit?  The public might also like to ask if when it comes to health services, why Thunder Bay does not have something like an urgent care centre that could take pressure off the one emergency at TBRHSC - but I digress.

One wonders if putting all the policing assets in one locational basket is really that wise in the 21^st century.  While we are a relatively small community, we are also remote and our population is quite spread out.  Is having only one location for police, one central hospital, etc…really the way to go forward in a world increasingly marked by shocks and catastrophes that can cripple infrastructure?  Even the shiny new “centralized” EMS HQ and station in Thunder Bay was ultimately supplemented with satellite facilities.  Like I said, we are remote and it would take a long time for any type of help to get here in the event a major catastrophe happens. 

If the decision is to go with new and larger police facilities, why not renovate the Balmoral complex and then put in another satellite facility – at some distance from the current location which is effectively already a north side location -  that can serve as a training facility/forensics lab/community policing and supplementary policing facility.  Officers travelling back and forth between the locations is simply another community patrol which would enhance service.  Is there an exceptionally compelling reason why a forensics lab, training rooms and a shooting range all need to be together with the frontline policing services?

As for the new staffing, this is a potential slippery slope.  The new policing methods noted in the report that will lead to increased staffing tend to rely not on front line officers but supplementary staff to handle many of the non-direct-crime fighting duties that officers need to do.  This is supposed to free up front-line officers by not having them do routine administrative tasks and paperwork as well as “save money” by having these tasks done by cheaper civilian staff.  However, in the end this is Thunder Bay and these workers will be municipal workers.  How much economy in operations will really occur if the current number of front line officers grow only slightly but an additional 50-60 municipal employees are added over the next 20 years to the police service?  This one needs a lot of thought given the impact on the operating budget.

  

So, this report is food for thought.  Councillors are correct in asking tough questions.