The mayor of LaSalle says, 'there is lots to consider,' but it's too early to say if the town would be interested in providing police service to the Town of Amherstburg.
Crystal Meloche says she had a brief conversation with Amherstburg Mayor Michael Prue at the end of last week, but they have not received a formal request on the issue, although it is expected in the coming days.
Once that happens, she expects a conversation to take place to get an idea of what Amherstburg is looking for, their service expectations and financial implications, and then she can go back to town council to see if it's something they want to pursue further.
Meloche says on their end, it has to make sense financially.
"It also has to make sense for our department and that growth that it could see and what that would mean for the change in complement of our officers," she says.
The future of policing in Amherstburg is up in the air after the City of Windsor informed the town of its intention to end the agreement that had the Windsor Police Service providing policing in the town due to increased costs, but the city left the door open for renegotiation.
Following an in-camera discussion Monday, the Amherstburg council directed administration to take five steps, one of which includes engaging with the Town of LaSalle about a potential partnership with the LaSalle Police Service.
The other steps include discussing the current situation with the city, researching the approximate cost of contracting the OPP, reviewing the cost of re-establishing a municipal police service, and investigating a county-wide police service.
Meloche says there are lots of things to consider.
"The town of Amherstburg and the town of LaSalle do have some similarities. We do border each other; we are small-town policing. That's what we both enjoy about our police services. Those types of things could make it a possibility, but there are definitely a lot of hurdles that would have to be considered to decide if it makes sense for both of us," she says.
Meloche says LaSalle did not submit a bid when Amherstburg was exploring the options that led to the contract with Windsor.
"It's many years later; it could be different, but like I said, I have to sit down with Mayor Prue, and we need to fully understand what they're looking for. Then I can go back and have those conversations with council and our police board and our police chief to make sure this is something we want to fully get into and consider before providing any more information," she says.
Windsor has been providing policing in 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.
LaSalle declined to be part of that process, while the Ontario Provincial Police opted not to submit a bid after it would not agree to the service framework the town had laid out.
The 20-year agreement between the town and the city is divided into four five-year segments, and in late 2023, the town approved the first five-year renewal phase of the contract.
Under the terms of the original agreement, an 18-month notice of termination must be provided, but the agreement would not end until the current renewal expires, which is Dec. 31, 2028.