A Chatham-Kent councillor wants to know more about hiring practices at the Chatham-Kent Police Service.
Ward 2 councillor Anthony Ceccacci has asked for a vote at council’s next meeting on July 14 to request Chatham-Kent’s Chief of Police present an update on a 2023 organizational and operations report of the CK Police Services.
The 2023 report, done by the consulting firm Deloitte, found that the CKPS was understaffed with the staff-to-population ratio well under the provincial and Canadian averages, and that CKPS relied on overtime to fill gaps in coverage.
Ceccacci’s motion comes as the CKPS is nearing the end of a four-year hiring spree, with the councillor wanting the chief to update the municipality on how the hiring is helping alleviate the CKPS issues. The 2023 report recommended hiring 48 CKPS employees, with police services ultimately deciding on 43.
The motion also requests that the chief include in their report any future initiatives for all communities of Chatham-Kent.
