Blake Ellis/Local Journalism Initiative

Sarnia Police Services will be expanding its footprint adding two location.

The police services board approved a five -year lease agreement for both locations at a combined cost of $70,000 in the first year. The police services board also approved taking money out of reserves to purchase equipment, signage and set up the leased spaces at a cost of up to $200,000 at its April 23 meeting.  

The police service to store and conduct maintenance on its fleet of police vehicles at one location. The site will also include the collision reporting centre currently at the police station on Christina Street.

Victim Services of Sarnia-Lambton, Crime Stoppers of Sarnia-Lambton, the Integrated Mobile Police and Crisis Team (IMPACT) and the Mental Health Emergency Response Team (MHEART) will be at the second leased space in the downtown.

“This is not a solution. This is buying time until we identify through the board what the long-term solution for the Sarnia Police Service is,” said Sarnia Police Chief Derek Davis, told Sarnia Police Service Board members on April 23.

Sarnia Councillor and Police Board Member Anne Marie Gillis pointed to the downloading of services from the provincial and federal government as a reason why there is so much congestion within the police services building. She says the collision reporting centre is a perfect example of this.

“When that came into this facility that changed the dynamic entirely of this building,” said Gillis, calling it a “pivotal mistake.”

Police Board Chair Kelly Ash said there have been discussions for a few months about how to alleviate the immediate stresses on the building. She was particularly pleased to have a location in the downtown core, giving police a strong presence, something that the board heard from citizens is a priority.

But the new locations don’t solve all the space issues, the chief said.

“My concern is, and I made no bones about it, our prisoner in custody is not adequate,” said Davis. “Our cells and the fact that we are loading in the parking lot is not adequate. We have been provided no funding.”  

So the police service is fixing other smaller issues that are problematic, said the chief who has plans for a new police station in the works.

In July 2025, an architectural firm estimated it would cost $91.1 million for the construction of a new 98,650-square-foot facility for the department – double the size of the current Christina street building.

In July, Sarnia City Council voted 6-3 to set aside 11.7 acres of land for the project on Old London Line. But the project stalled when he police board made a capital request for funding for a new police facility, but it was not included in the mayor’s budget for 2026.