Policing Costs in Ontario: How to Back Away from a Breaking Point

The rising costs of delivering local policing in Ontario has long been an issue of concern. In 2014, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario president called the current trend of police salary increases "unsustainable," noting that Ontario municipalities pay the highest policing costs in Canada. This talk surveys the fiscal impacts of rising police salaries for Ontario's municipalities, then goes on to present research about best practices for controlling costs. IMFG Graduate Fellow Robert Scherf further evaluates the major proposals for reform, with a focus on moving this issue forward in a timely and effective way.