Chatham-Kent council has given the green light to the Chatham-Kent Police Service to submit a proposal to Leamington for police services.
Chief Gary Conn says the police board has already gave the go-ahead for the police service to submit the proposal, but he can’t say much more.
“This is a confidential RFP and as a result I am rather limited as to what I can provide council as we do not wish to provide an unfair advantage to other bidders or taint this overall process altogether,” Conn said in a presentation to Chatham-Kent Council Monday night.
Conn says a proposed Leamington detachment would be for a five-year term.
“We currently deal with the influence of Leamington crime and that deals with property crime, drugs, and organized crime,” Conn says. “If we take responsibility of the area and the problems associated with Leamington, then we can effectively deal with the issues of mutual concern in a succinct and coordinated fashion.”
This past summer, Leamington ended its contract with Ontario Provincial Police after nearly a decade of service.
Bids have to be in by the end of this week, with a decision expected to be made by mid-January.