Sudbury police services board approves $1M increase to police budget

Morning North7:31Sudbury police looking for extra million to operate next year

Greater Sudbury Police Services is asking for a budget increase for next year. Despite the increase, cuts will have to be made to balance it's budget. We heard from Police Chief Paul Pederson on the cuts and from police board member Michael Vagnini.

Sudbury police will ask city council for an increase of 1.9 per cent in next year's policing budget to pay for an increase in employee salaries.

Chief of Police Paul Pederson told the police services board at a meeting Wednesday night that there will be a freeze on any other new spending.

Sudbury's police force is already understaffed compared to others like it, the chief noted. And now they are making cuts to their budget to avoid layoffs.

"It's easy to cut fat off an elephant. It's very difficult to cut fat off of a skeleton," Pedersonsaid.

"And we are a skeleton. And it's getting more and more difficult to cut our budget."

The board approved the $53.5 million budget, which includes an additional$1 million towardsemployee salary increases.

The budget does contain about $100,000 in cuts. To save money, theforce will reduceit'sfuel budgetfor police vehicles andre-evaluateleases at some of itsstorefront operations in rural areas. Itwill also contribute less to itsreserve fund, which is used to pay for things such as new police cruisers and IT equipment.

"We're taking a thousand dollars here and a thousand dollars there, and pulling it together to come up with the cuts in the budget that have been requested," Pedersen said.

To raise some additional cash, police plan to hike the administrative feeforhaving an off-duty police officer. Those are police who are contractedoutto provide extra security or traffic control atprivateevents or construction sites.

Police board vice chair and city councillor Michael Vagnini said he feels "very comfortable" with the budget "in being able to present this to council and say, 'This is the bare bones that we have and that we're dealing with.'"

The budget now heads to city council for final approval.

According to the GSPS web site, 375 people are employed by the service.