POLICE RESOURCES NOT HARMING CITY

When the police say something of political importance, people tend to
listen. When the police show up at city budget meetings asking that
their budget not be slashed, ordinary people pay attention, concerned
about their safety and how police resources will be stretched if
people are cut or additions the police were seeking do not come
through. But when the police union sends one warning and that same
warning is dismissed by the police chief, it's hard to know what to
think.

Last week, police union head Jeff Hunt said the Guelph Police force
is not properly staffed and as a result local residents are not
receiving the proper level of service. Police Chief Rob Davis
believes the community feels the service level is adequate, and city
residents are pleased to pay for it. It is hard to discern whether
someone is right or wrong in this debate, but past actions by the
police chief make one think that if there was a problem he would say
something publicly, bringing the issue to city council and to the
province.

While Hunt said the mandated service allotment of 179 uniformed
officers is "much lower" than it should be, those numbers are set by
the province and perhaps it's the province where Hunt must go if he
feels those staffing levels are inadequate. It is not incorrect to
say that more police could be used here. Police administrators have
admitted in the past that in targeting certain areas, such as the
crack cocaine problem, they spend less time focusing on, for example,
marijuana grow ops in the city, as there is less violent crime
associated with those scenarios. If there were opportunities to beef
up the ranks, we could always use more officers for specific task
forces such as those that combat crack cocaine problems and downtown
issues.

Davis and police board chair Dave Clark routinely appear at city
council budget meetings to argue for increased resources. In 2004,
Davis said the force would have to delay the hiring of nine new
officers because of a $200,000 cut to the police budget. But he
conceded the force was "glad about what we did get." Such delays in
hiring do not seem to have had a negative impact on the city's crime
rate; Davis pointed out recently the clearance rates have increased
and calls for service -- despite a population surge -- have remained
constant.

For all the talk about garbage and water in this city, policing is
also a service that affects everyone, and we would expect a certain
level of service if we ever need to call for help. More police
officers will always be welcome, but for now, it seems the city is
not in danger with the size of police force it currently has at its
disposal.