Tag Archives: St. Thomas Police Services Board

10.04.25
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‘Our communities feel abandoned by the very institutions meant to protect them.’ – St. Thomas Police Chief Marc Roskamp

“In communities plagued by chronic criminality, safety seems to have become a privilege instead of a fundamental right.”
A compelling observation from St. Thomas Police Chief Marc Roskamp.
It was not spoken at city hall during a council meeting; instead, it was delivered Thursday afternoon via video conferencing to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights at their meeting in the Wellington Building in Ottawa.
Elgin-St. Thomas-London South MP Andrew Lawton sits on the committee, as does Brantford-Brant Conservative MP Larry Brock, who visited St. Thomas in July for a roundtable discussion to examine the evolving challenges impacting public safety in St. Thomas and Aylmer.

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08.30.25
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Sustainable public safety in St. Thomas will require both human and financial investments

Recent funding investments by the Police Services Board and the City of St. Thomas “are producing tangible results in reducing crime and social disorder” in the community.
That’s according to information provided to the board for the July meeting by St. Thomas Police Chief Marc Roskamp.
His board report cautions, however, “It is essential that future budgets reflect the operational requirements of our police services and support a responsible path forward.”
The concern is what impact a growing population and overcoming the residual effects of several years of fiscal restraint and conservative budgeting encouraged by the city will have on the 2026 police service budget.
The St. Thomas Police Service is certainly operating in lean fashion when compared to similar-sized police departments, particularly when you look at the cost per capita of delivering services.

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10.26.24
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‘It’s oxymoronic to think you can have growth without expense under public safety’ – St. Thomas Police Service Board chair Dan Reith

It’s a simple premise if we agree to use it as a starting point.
The presence of police acts as a deterrent.
To put this into context, St. Thomas department heads are now preparing draft proposals to present to council in November as the basis for the 2025 capital and operating budgets.
With the explosive population growth projected in the coming decades – nearly doubling by 2050 – one critical area will be ensuring the well-being of newcomers to St. Thomas.
You do not attract new industries – and with it, workers to fill those jobs – when they will potentially be located in crime-ridden neighbourhoods.
So, this past week we sat down with Dan Reith, chair of the Police Service Board to discuss what is expected to be a budget ask representing a 14 per cent increase over the 2024 budget.
At first glance, that might seem like an aggressive ask by Chief Marc Roskamp and the Police Service Board.

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10.14.23
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St. Thomas Police Service five-year collective agreement “meets the modern moment” – Chief Marc Roskamp

city_scope_logo-cmykIt’s being deemed a “groundbreaking” contract with its commitment to resources to support the wellness of uniform and civilian members of the St. Thomas Police Service. A contract likely to be emulated across the province.
The five-year deal was negotiated over the summer with the current agreements set to expire at the end of this year.
Wage increases of three per cent are included in the first three years of the deal, increasing to four per cent in the fourth year and five per cent in the final year (2028).
Other highlights include the updating of maternity and parental leave provisions as well as sick and family leave provisions.
Specialty unit remuneration has been adjusted and this would include role positions like breath technicians.
We sat down this week with St. Thomas Police Services Board chair Dan Reith to delve into the deal.

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