A ruling by the Ontario Civilian Policing Commission all but puts an end to the Midland Police Service.
The nearly 40 members from Midland police will be let go within the next three weeks, as the OPP take over policing duties in the town.
It’s believed that three quarters of Midland’s current officers will be hired by provincial police.
“The primary concern for our membership is the folks who don’t transition to the OPP, either because they chose not to apply or they don't make the cut. There's the potential the town may sever them and stop paying them and leave it up to the arbitration system,” says Bill Gordon, vice president of the Midland Police Association.
Mayor Gord McKay says the town will treat those members fairly.
“I'm happy with what we've accomplished with this and I’m sleeping well at night and this is a good decision for Midland and its future,” he says.
The math says Midland could see savings of $6 million over six years. However, those numbers could change, following the arbitration process and payouts to those let go.
“The fact that this was not a smooth patch-over, as we were once led to believe by this council and the board; that every member was effectively invited to apply for a job and went through the same competition process that they would if they were just off the street and applying on the website,” says Gordon.
McKay says he’s not aware of any gamesmanship.
“The one hold-up that may be frustrating to a lot of officers that the OPP told us right at the start of this that they couldn’t make any offers of employment until the OCPC had rendered a decision.”
After the OPP take over, Midland officers and staff will undergo four weeks of training.
