Regional councillor weighs pros and cons of police budget

Roger Varley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Regional councillor Bruce Garrod put out a post late last week in which he revisited his vote on the regional budget earlier this year, where he voted for a higher tax levy instead of a proposed lower levy.

In an interview Tuesday, Garrod said he supports funding police operations but is not comfortable with the capital side of the Durham Region Police budget. He likened the lower levy that was touted by some members of regional council as a "get-me-elected" move. He said that although he was concerned that three quarters of the regional 4.7-per-cent tax increase was earmarked for Durham Regional Police, a recent report shows the region is not immune from serious crime.

"This is to support police on investigations such as human trafficking (especially in the southern part of the region) and the tourist criminals who are costing residents millions of dollars," he said, adding Durham police services have been underfunded for years. "I supported this and I'll take the heat." (Tourist criminals enter the country as tourists, go on a crime spree and then return home.)

He said the funding increase also will see another officer dedicated to Uxbridge and seven more assigned to North Durham.

On the other hand, he said police are looking for about $1 billion for new quarters for the North Durham police station (which he said is 'past its due date') and new stations in north Oshawa and Ajax, adding he is not in support of that expenditure. He said such an expenditure should be over a longer period of time than the 10-year capital budget proposes.

Garrod pointed out that 60 per cent of the property taxes paid by Uxbridge residents goes to the region. Of that, 30 per cent goes to fund the police. The rest is split between social services, health and other programs.