Waterloo regional police will bring its budget to council today. Here's what to expect

What power does regional council have over the Waterloo Regional Police Service budget?

That's the subject of a memo that goes before regional council Monday, when the police service presents its proposed 2022 budget for broader consideration. 

The police service wants to raise its budget by $12.4-million to hire 35 more officers, but community group Reallocate WR thinks the police budget should stay flat. It wants council to reject the proposed budget and send it back to the police services board. 

"We would like the proposed [budget increase] to be reallocated to be focused on addressing the housing and homelessness crisis that we are currently experiencing in our region," said Jessica Hutchison, a spokesperson for the group. 

Ahead of Monday's budget meeting, here's what you should know about how a police budget gets set:

What does the law say about municipalities and policing?

In Ontario, the Police Services Act requires every municipality to provide "adequate and effective police services." 

The same legislation puts the municipality's police services board in charge of providing those services, and for providing the relevant infrastructure and administration for policing 

How is the police budget set?

The police services board has to submit its operating and capital estimates to municipal council.

These estimates must show the amount of money required to maintain the police force and provide it with equipment and facilities, and to pay the expenses for the operation of the police services board. 

Once the budget is submitted, what can regional council do?

Regional council can approve or deny the figure put forward by the police services board. It can also set some entirely new budget that is either higher or lower than what the service had put forward. 

However, regional council cannot approve or deny specific line items in the police budget. It can only reject or approve the budget as a whole. 

What if regional council and the police services board can't agree? 

If the police services board and the municipality can't come to an agreement, the board can request a hearing by the Ontario Civilian Police Commission. 

The commission is a provincial tribunal. During the hearing, it would receive evidence from both the police services board and the municipality, and set a binding decision about the police budget. 

This happens from time to time, according to Scott Blandford, an assistant professor in the policing and public safety program at Wilfrid Laurier University. 

Asked if he thinks there's room for improvement in the police budgeting process, Blandford said municipalities should have a greater say in what they're paying for.

"I think there needs to be more effort perhaps put into the consultation level," said Blandford. 

When it comes to the topic of reallocating police dollars, Blandford said it makes sense to take a look at the work officers are being asked to do, and consider whether or not it really makes sense. 

Responding to mental health calls is an obvious one, Blandford said. Many community members have called for a non-police response to mental health crises, and even the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police have asked the province to make the changes necessary for this to happen.