Kingston Police Feel Freeze of Prime Minister Doug Ford's Budget – Kingston

Kingston police forces are stressed by several provincial grants blocked by the PC government of Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

These grants total more than $ 1.6 million. And officials say that if they are not thawed or ultimately approved by the provincial government, there may be problems with budgeting.

John Howes, Kingston Police Chief Financial Officer, said the province did not say when it would decide what to do with these grants.

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Howes said that if the problem is not resolved by the end of December, at the end of Kingston's fiscal year, police finances could be affected. Howes also mentioned that the province's fiscal year ends in March, so the deadline for making funding decisions in Ontario does not coincide with the city's budget schedule.

"The city is also impacted by the government's overall funding," said Antje McNeely, chief of police in Kingston. "It will have an impact on the city, on the scale of the city."

The Ford government says it is reviewing the province's books to improve efficiency. Meanwhile, funds are frozen across the province.

The money intended for the Kingston Police Force would go to several divisions of the police department. A grant of more than $ 950,000 is intended for items such as training and equipment that can be used by officers to respond to calls in case of mental crisis, and tools such as electronic guns and protective vests can help agents in the field.

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"Let's hope we reduce the number of apprehensions we would do. We would deal with situations much more holistically and more quickly, "said the designated chief.

Another outstanding grant concerns prisoner transfers and court security. These grants are intended to be paid in four installments per year, but two deposits of $ 360,000 are currently pending.

McNeely says that the more than $ 1.6 million currently frozen would leave a huge cut in the police budget – the one whose service could not recover.

"I think we will have to have discussions with our partners on this, with the city council."

At last week's Police Services Committee meeting, Howes also said the department would respect its budget for the year, but only if these grants are approved by the Ford government.