Town council voted unanimously to reduce office hours at the OPP detachment in a special meeting Monday night.
Before the vote provincial police representatives were on hand to answer questions from elected representatives. The OPP building will be staffed from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, instead of the current 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The changed is expected the save the municipality nearly $340,000 annually.
Mayor John Paterson says the number of residents who came needing to speak to someone at the detachment did not justify the cost to keep the doors open all the time. “During a week there may be six people come in in the evening, and in the wee hours of the morning.”
Paterson says council was assured safety will not be compromised and officers will be available. “They will either be in the office or on the road doing their patrols.”
He adds the change is expected to take place soon, when it’s most convenient for OPP.
