New headquarters also debated at first of four public meetings

Cathy Dobson/The Independent

Pleas to beef up police presence along the waterfront and invest in new technology to catch dangerous drivers drew attention at the first of four public meetings about policing in Sarnia.

Nearly 50 people attended Tuesday’s meeting at Our Lady of Mercy parish hall, some expressing high praise for the work of Sarnia police and others criticizing them for not doing enough for those struggling with mental health and addictions.

Former city councillor Bev MacDougall kicked off the meeting with her concerns about bad drivers who run through yellow and red lights.

“I don’t think our streets are safe anymore,” she said, acknowledging that drug issues in the city have a higher priority than traffic patrols.

“But surely to goodness there is a solution,” MacDougall said.  “I want to feel safe on the road. I don’t want to approach an intersection with a green light and feel unsafe crossing. 

Local drivers have developed dangerous driving habits because of years of minimal driving enforcement, she said. “It’s stupid.”

She wants the police services budget to include video technology at busy intersections to catch bad drivers in the act.

Police Chief Derek Davies said it’s up to the municipality to install video cameras.

Sarnia Coun. Anne Marie Gillis sits on the Police Services Board and agreed with MacDougall that video surveillance should be a priority and that provincial grants may be available for them.

Public safety in Centennial Park was raised by a senior who said she lives in a downtown high rise and knows many older people afraid to take a walk.

The woman, who wanted to be identified only as Cindy, said drug users frequently pass out in the park and leave their needles behind.

“I used to walk in Centennial Park but since the (former) Rainbow Park (encampment), more incidents have happened downtown,” she said.  “I’ve seen people passed out in the public washrooms. 

“We need more patrols to make people feel comfortable to go out for a walk.”

She had praise for Sarnia Police Services for successful investigations that lead to the arrest of drug dealers.

“I think (the public) doesn’t see the time put into that sort of thing,” she said to a round of applause.

Resident Chris Burley also lauded police, saying many criminals are on the streets because of problems with Ontario’s courts, not a lack of policing.

“I love that you guys are stating in media releases how many interactions you’re having with certain people.  I think it shines a lot of light where the problem is at,” Burley said to more applause.

The public meeting was the first of four being held to gather input before a three-year strategic plan is submitted to the Sarnia Police Services (SPS) board for approval, likely in January.

Central to the discussion is whether Sarnia’s 38-year-old police headquarters should be replaced.  In July, city council approved a 4.7- hectare (11.7-acre) site near the southeast corner of London Line and Highway 40 for a new building.

Council also approved $500,000 for studies related to potential construction.  But the $91-million headquarters does not have a green light yet.

Chief Davis acknowledged there is some resistance from the community to a new headquarters but said the existing Christina Street building is too small and cannot be easily expanded or updated to accommodate modern policing.

But resident Nathan Colquhoun –  who owns The Sarnia Journal and has strongly advocated against a new headquarters – made his case again.

Colquhoun said he believes police should be spending more to assist the mentally ill and vulnerable on the street, and less on infrastructure.

“You’re not spending millions on tools for de-escalation or social support; you are spending it on proprietary systems for surveillance and for control,”  said Colquhoun.  While you publicly promote the MHEART program as a compassionate response, your budget shows the real priorities are a new building and a multi-million-dollar surveillance strategy.”

SPS board chair Paul Wiersma replied that he’d prefer not to spend $91 million on a new facility.  But Sarnia has not reinvested in infrastructure for years and waiting longer to build a new police headquarters will only serve to escalate the cost of the project in future.

“I appreciate that you feel that we should allocate…more resources to areas that (provide) more social (supports),” Wiersma told Colquhoun.  “We disagree and I’m okay with that if you’re okay with that.”

Board member Kelly Ash took offence that Colquhoun has been sharply critical of the board. 

“You’ve made a lot of assumptions of the board members,” she said. “You’ve made a lot of comments…that we are not empathetic, that we have no heart.  But you don’t know any of us. You don’t know me, you don’t know my story.”

Ash repeated comments made several times by Davis at the meeting that Sarnia needs more help from Lambton County social services, the federal and the provincial governments to provide housing and services to help the addicted and mentally ill. It’s not entirely up to the police.

“You are barking up the wrong tree,” she said to Colquhoun, adding that she had a family member who died on the streets and has a great deal of empathy for those experiencing addiction. Colquhoun later expressed sympathy for her loss.

Councillor Chrissy McRoberts said it’s not the role of police to take social work training.

“We’re not into that,” she said although the police MHEART team works alongside mental health professionals.

There will be three more public meetings prior to city council’s discussion of the 2026 police budget, proposed at $38,733,664.  That’s an increase of 6.5 per cent over this year and does not include money for a new building.

Upcoming meetings include:

• • Lambton College Residence and Event Centre –   September 15th, 6:30-8:00 PM – CANCELLED DUE TO THE OPSEU STRIKE
• • Northern Collegiate Institute and Vocational School – September 18, 6:30-8:00 PM
• • Additional date in Bright’s Grove to be confirmed.

Anyone wishing to make a written submission can send it to 2026StrategicPlan@police.sarnia.on.ca.