Oxford Police Decision Coming Soon
The Town of Oxford is one step closer to determining the future of policing services for that community.
Last night's final meeting of the Police Services Advisory Committee wrapped up with a recommendation that Town Council will consider at its February session. It is expected that a proposal to slightly reduce the service hours RCMP will commit to the town.
In March of last year, County Council accepted a service option from the RCMP that would see a reduction in the number of officers deployed throughout the municipality in an effort to cut costs. That option —arising from a joint County-Oxford review of policing services that began in late 2018— required Oxford's approval for any modifications to the existing agreement.
Oxford Town Council undertook a review of the police services provided to the community and found that Oxford's per capita policing costs were the second-highest in the province. Council has sought to reduce the amount it spends on policing services —currently 20 percent of the town's annual budget.
Feedback from a public meeting last Fall saw strong support for the existing relationship with the RCMP. Council was also considering whether to contract out policing services to cut costs even further. If the County's proposal is adopted and the RCMP services are reduced, Oxford's per capita expenditures for policing would still be among the top-five in the province.
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