The West Nipissing Police Services Board is concerned how services will be affected once the OPP replace the municipal police. Barry Bertrand, the chair of the police board, says local emergency responders have direct experience on how long it takes the OPP to respond to highways they patrol in West Nipissing. He says when fire and police personnel from West Nipissing arrive on the scene of a highway incident patrolled by the OPP, the provincial officers don’t show up until a considerable time later. Bertrand says local emergency responders are very concerned about this because of the fear these late arrivals may occur from time to time after the OPP assume police responsibility for West Nipissing. Bertrand, who expressed the board’s concerns to council also addressed the number of officers would be assigned in West Nipissing under an OPP model. Using the OPP’s own definition of adequate coverage, Bertrand says West Nipissing will have at least 25 percent less boots on the ground under an OPP model. Bertrand spoke to council ahead of the vote where municipal politicians voted 6-2 in favour of replacing the municipal police with the OPP.
