The future of policing is up for discussion Monday night in Amherstburg.
Town staff is asking council for approval, to make a formal request to the Ministry of the Solicitor General for a Policing Resource Plan from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) for policing in the town post December 31, 2028.
Councillor Linden Crain says the town is looking at all options for policing in the town.
As AM800 news reported in February, Windsor city council voted to end its agreement to provide policing to Amherstburg at the end of 2028 due to increasing policing costs.
The city has been providing policing to the town since January 2019 after the Amherstburg council voted to approve a 20-year contract with the city and disband the former town police service.
Crain says the town needs to look at what the OPP is willing to offer.
"It really outlines how the police force would allocate its resources down in Amherstburg, personnel, funding, equipment, what would their strategic objectives be in Amherstburg and then council would review and staff would review that plan to see if it lines well with the town, what the costs would be and then we could perhaps take it a step further," says Crain.
He says residents are still shocked with Windsor's decision and says community policing is important to residents.
"We need the protection," says Crain. "The community to feel safe and the good thing is, we have time. It's not that the police service is going to go away tomorrow. We just have to work hard as a council and staff to find a solution that has minimal impact on the taxpayers which in this case is going to be very difficult."
Big changes are on the horizon for policing in Amherstburg beyond 2028. Council and Administration are working to ensure a smooth and informed transition, and your awareness and input matter. pic.twitter.com/nXgSgCFGjp
— Linden Crain (@LindenCrain) April 13, 2025
Crain feels the town needs to investigate all options.
"There's a lot more homework that needs to be done and we're not at a point where there's going to be a new police service starting tomorrow, this is post December 2028 that something is going to take place," says Crain.
Crain says the town is also looking at other policing options for the town including renegotiating with the city, contracting services from LaSalle, a standalone service for the town and examining a regional service for the county.