OPP Budget
Let’s Talk About Community Safety in Midland
While knocking on doors and speaking with many of you, I’ve heard one question repeatedly: Why are we hiring private security to monitor Little Lake and downtown instead of relying solely on the OPP? Here is the honest breakdown of where we stand, how we got here, and my practical, cost-effective plan to restore community-style policing to Midland.
The Reality of OPP Policing
The primary legislation governing policing in the province is the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019 (CSPA) (which replaced the older Police Services Act). Under this provincial law, the OPP is mandated to provide "adequate and effective policing," which includes community patrolling, crime prevention, and proactive public safety initiatives.. While the OPP provides excellent emergency response, they operate on a reactive model. Even though they patrol Midland, they can be pulled away at any moment to handle provincial policing crises elsewhere. Unlike our old municipal police force, the OPP is not dedicated exclusively to our town's day-to-day community presence. However, they do log that they do foot patrols.
Proactive Patrol Time Allocation (2025–2026)
In a detailed report delivered to Midland Town Council by Southern Georgian Bay OPP Detachment Commander Inspector Russell Elliott, the OPP outlined its resource allocation strategy.
• 21% Direct Focus: The OPP allocates approximately 21% of total frontline officer time strictly to proactive policing, which directly encompasses visibility patrols, downtown community engagement, and targeted local enforcement.
• The King Street Corridor Focus: Highlighting foot patrol density along the town's primary commercial hub (King Street from Yonge Street to the waterfront), historical and active tracking averages roughly 400 foot-patrol or community-service occurrences annually along this short economic corridor alone.
Why Did Midland Switch to the OPP?
The previous council transitioned to the OPP as a cost-saving measure. At the time, our local police budget was already $5 million annually, with tens of millions in looming infrastructure upgrades. If we had kept the local force, it would easily cost $7 million to $8 million today.
While the switch saved taxpayers money, it left us lacking the proactive, community-focused policing we desperately need—a gap that has become evident in recent challenges around Little Lake and the downtown core. Proactive policing we pay for, so drive through Little Lake, check the problems areas. Use the spotlight. Install cameras that alert when there is movement during the overnight hours, so drive by.
What Can We Do Right Now?
Bringing back a standalone Midland police department would cost tens of millions of dollars—an unfeasible burden for our taxpayers. Instead, we need smart, immediate, and affordable solutions:
* We need to come up with specific times and where we want the OPP to try to do proactive foot patrols. I know we cannot dictate this, but if we can try to coordinate when we think they should be there. When they are doing paperwork in their car to strategically park in areas of complaint eg. park on Cook street to do paperwork between 11am and 1pm.
• Empower Bylaw into Special Constables: We can train our existing bylaw officers to become Special Constables. This increases their authority to directly handle local disturbances, giving them the teeth to solve downtown issues. It is a cost-effective move that provides immediate relief. • Launch Community Watch Programs: By establishing proactive neighborhood watches, we can look out for one another and streamline how non-emergency information is handled.
• Smart Reporting: Every time the OPP responds to a non-emergency call, Midland gets billed. We pay a base rate per household annually ( about 9,000 homes and business), plus a per-call fee. We also absorb the costs of hospital and court security within our boundaries. By educating our community on who to call for non-emergencies, we can directly lower our OPP enforcement bills.
• Explore Regional Collaboration: We should open formal discussions with our neighbors—Tay, Tiny, and Penetanguishene—to see if a shared regional police force is financially and operationally feasible. Let's explore the data so we can make an informed decision.