Recent changes to provincial legislation is causing Guelph police to revise its 10-year budget plan, a revision that will see the service add in an extra $700,000 in capital spending by 2033.
If approved, almost 70 per cent of that additional spending would come next year.
The new legislation requires police services to have additional equipment available to officers and canine units. It also requires police services to replace body armour every five years instead of seven years.
“This is not discretionary, the law requires that we make these investments,” said police chief Gord Cobey during the monthly police services board meeting.
Body armour needs to be upgraded a level due to these regulations, and because of the volume needing to be replaced, Guelph police is proposing a “staged transition plan” to recognize the cost of the equipment.
As well, every officer on community patrol and may need to respond to an active attacker must have a battering ram, bolt cutters and a Halligan tool available to them. A Halligan tool is something used for forced entry, and commonly used by firefighters.
Because of this, each police vehicle will be outfitted with this equipment.
The other equipment required is for tactical and canine units, including binoculars and night vision goggles, blast shields and satellite phones. They’re also required to have a drone, which was already in the budget before the update.
This will all result in an additional $284,500 in capital spending this year.
“We are doing the training this fall,which is why the adjustment was required,” added deputy chief Daryl Goetz.
“We have to get the equipment in advance to actually do the training.”
The report also noted the benefit of ordering the equipment now, so the cost stays at 2024 levels.
As a result, $284,500 in spending on other items this year have been pushed to 2025, including furniture, fleet and facility equipment and administrative equipment.
There is also another $200,000 needed in the 2025 budget because of an increase in the price to replace a part of the HVAC system at police headquarters on Wyndham Street.
The estimate noted it is for “the completion of the preliminary engineering required to issue the tender.”
Additional spending added to future years in this report is all attributed to body armour.
Police say the additional spending will come from its reserve fund, and the budget “remains fully funded for the ten-year period.”
Nothing was approved, and instead has been referred to next month’s meeting, where the police board will get its first look at any revisions to the police operating budget.
The changes would then need approval by city council.
