Greater Sudbury Police Chief Paul Pederson is hoping a KPMG review of the force's operations will reassure the public that police are spending tax dollars wisely.
Pedersen was speaking after this week's meeting of the police services board, where KPMG officials gave them high marks for efficiency, along with 33 recommendations on how to improve operations.
"I certainly do hope it's well received by the community,” Pedersen said. “I certainly do hope that the community sees this as due diligence and responsibility on behalf of the board police service."
In August, some members of city council questioned the 4.1 per cent increase police were seeking in its roughly $53.5 million budget for 2017.
Ward 9 Coun. Deb McIntosh said at the time that a full one per cent of next year's estimated 3.6-per-cent property tax hike is because of outside boards like police, the health unit and Conservation Sudbury. Police are seeking the biggest hike.
“What process did they go through to arrive at this increase?” McIntosh asked.
She said with the rest of the city trying to limit increases, police should be asked to reduce the their budget for next year.
“They're creating a situation where their portion of our budget is growing,” she said. “The police service board should be working along the same lines as the other boards … I would like for us to tell them what we expect from them, not the other way around.”
“Asking for a four-per-cent increase to a base budget without changing service delivery seems high,” agreed Mayor Brian Bigger.
But in a news release Tuesday, police said the KPMG review, which took 10 months and cost $125,000, showed they are already a lean organization.
“In response to concerns surrounding the escalating costs of community safety, demands for fiscal accountability and decreasing budgets, the police services board committed funds to examine whether the Greater Sudbury Police Service is meeting the needs of citizens as efficiently and effectively as possible,” the release said.
“It is important that the value of each tax dollar and the effective and efficient use of resources are demonstrated to citizens in the delivery of public safety and security services. In doing so, the Greater Sudbury Police Service continually looks for opportunities to drive sustainable innovation and optimize its resources.”
Pedersen said Wednesday that Sudbury police deliver service at a cost “well below” forces in most other Ontario cities.
"We said there was no sacred cows, no stone unturned, look at our organization from top to bottom and if there's fat, less us know about it,” he said. “There were some areas where we can improve the way we deliver service, but it certainly confirmed that we are still one of the most cost-efficient police organizations in this province.”
The police budget increased by 1.9 per cent last year, when the city was in the midst of trying to find $6 million to pay for last year's tax freeze. The increase the year before that was 2.6 per cent, and have ranged between two and four per cent over the last several years.
About 85 - 90 per cent of the budget goes to paying salaries and benefits to the force’s 264 full-time officers, 107 full-time civilian staff, as well as the force’s fluctuating number of part-time staffers.
Police will present their budget to council Nov. 15.
