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Policing may cost $8.95 more on a $300,000 home By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF A $126.9 million Halton police budget for 2013 was okayed by the Halton Regional Police Service Board Thursday. Now, it must get a green light from Halton Regional council. The funding request is a $4.7 million hike over last year's police budget. It would amount to an estimated increase in household taxes of $8.95 or 2.3 per cent for the average Halton household valued at $300,000 or $2.98 per $100,000 of assessment. A number of factors are driving up the 2013 budget, stated Halton Police Chief Stephen Tanner in his report to the board. The impact of negotiated contract settlements and continued growth in the cost of benefits for service members are among them. There is also a need for more personnel in a number of key areas. Tanner called for the hiring of 16 officers and the conversion of three civilian positions from part-time to full-time. These positions include: nine frontline constables, four Drugs & Guns & Gangs Unit constables, one sergeant and one constable for major community events, an IT technical support analyst, a mobile technician, and one cell officer for the Milton courts. While Maclean's magazine has labeled Halton the safest region in Canada for the past four years and Halton boasts a low crime severity index, Tanner said the additional officers are needed as population and calls for service in Halton continue to increase. Tanner said there were nearly 500,000 calls for service in Halton in 2011 and expects that total will be exceeded in 2012. Halton has one of the lowest officer-to-population ratios with 123 officers to every 125,000 residents, the chief noted. Beyond that, Tanner said, more staffing is needed to support specialized investigative areas including the Drugs & Morality Unit, Guns & Gangs Unit, and Emergency Services Unit. The civilian cell officer's position is particularly important to keep watch on prisoners awaiting trial at the Milton court. Deputy Police Chief Andrew Fletcher said recently two inmates severely beat a third inmate after cornering him in a washroom where there are no surveillance cameras. "We are continuously aware of the board's objective to demonstrate prudent use of taxpayer dollars while recognizing the need to 7 · Friday, November 2, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com "We are continuously aware of the board's objective to demonstrate prudent use of taxpayer dollars while recognizing the need to provide adequate and effective police services in Halton." Halton Police Chief Stephen Tanner provide adequate and effective police services in Halton," said Tanner in his report to the board. "The challenge for the board and management remains in balancing the need to service a growing community and to respond to changes in service delivery while maintaining a fiscally responsible request for resources and funding. We believe that the 2013 funding request achieves this balance." In addition to approving the 2013 funding request, the board also voted to approve the Halton Regional Police Service's 10-year capital program forecast, which calls for $55.3 million to be spent between 2013 and 2022 on items such as radio system infrastructure, vehicles, forensic equipment and facility upgrades. RBC Dominion Securities Inc. Huge Inventory Liquidation Sale Floor Models Drastically Reduced You can't put a price on dreams. But you can put a price on textbooks, uniforms and admission fees. Learn how you can help your children achieve their dreams with up to $20,000 in tax-free capital gains annually. 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