Private meeting with Windsor mayor sparks policing debate in Amherstburg

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A meeting between two Amherstburg councillors and the mayor of Windsor has sparked a debate among town councillors.

Amherstburg council met Tuesday evening where a recent meeting between Coun. Linden Crain and Deputy Mayor Chris Gibb and Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, was discussed during new business by members of council unhappy with the “secretive” meeting.

Coun. Peter Courtney put forward a motion asking that the rules of order for in-camera discussions be waived and that the direction provided in-camera regarding policing decisions be made public during the July 13 meeting. The motion passed unanimously.

The town has been exploring policing options after Windsor City Council voted in late 2024 to end the policing agreement in December 2028, which has seen Windsor police servicing Amherstburg.

Amherstburg council had conversations with the city following the decision but was told that city council and the mayor were not interested in negotiating a new deal.

Amherstburg council voted in-camera to cease talks with the city and explore other policing options such as re-establishing their own service, or going to the OPP to provide service.

During Tuesday’s meeting, many councillors expressed their frustration with the meeting between Crain, Gibb and Dilkens, with many stating that the council decision in-camera to not move forward with discussions with the City of Windsor or Windsor police should be respected.

Coun. Don McArthur says the city was the one who backed out of a 20-year deal early.

“They didn’t say ‘hey, the money’s not working for us anymore, let’s make a new and better deal,’ that’s not what they said. They pulled the plug, they walked out on us like four hungry children in a crop in the field, and we’re supposed to chase after them and spend staff time, staff money, council time, council money, all these conversations on Facebook chasing a ghost that left us high and dry? No, no, no, no, no.”

Courtney says council met in-camera twice about not continuing conversations with Windsor.

“There was a conversation that happened about Windsor Police behind those doors, not once, a recommendation request by a councillor to revisit it again with the same outcome. And then to read in the paper that ‘meeting the mayor to discuss further’... like keep pushing down that path again, and respecting council’s decision was the most disrespectful thing that could’ve been done.”

Mayor Michael Prue says council made the decision to not move forward, but maybe the city is realizing they might have trouble come 2029.

“You don’t go cap in hand to somebody who’s kicked you out. Why do you think that they suddenly are interested again? Might it be the $6-million hole in their budget, might that be it, because that’s what we pay them now. And come Jan. 1 [2029] there’s going to be a $6-million hole in their budget and 30 police officers that they won’t know what to do with.”

Meanwhile, Gibb says council promised to explore every option available.

“I do not believe we are doing that. I think there’s too much prideful or people upset with the way the message was given to us, and at the end of the day we may not pursue anything with the Windsor Police. But as far as I’m concerned, I sat on this council when we promised to explore every option.”

Crain says he’s been told the city isn’t against a new agreement with the town.

“At multiple events, and multiple occasions, I’m receiving feedback from current councillors with the City of Windsor that Windsor is still open to negotiating with Amherstburg and finding perhaps a price that makes sense. I wanted to hear it from the chair of the police board, myself and the deputy mayor met with Drew Dilkens, and that was the case.”

Crain says he owes it to the residents of Amherstburg to be an advocate for them.

“I definitely do not need to seek permission to speak with other elected officials who I think we need to build strong relationships with in this area, and I was not advancing any town business whatsoever. So, I do not apologize for meeting with the mayor of Windsor. I needed to find out answers to questions that I was hearing from the community.”

During the July 13 meeting, administration is expected to provide an updated timeline on the policing process as the OPP may not have costs to service the town until September.

Windsor has been providing policing in the town since January 2019 after the Amherstburg council voted to approve a 20-year contract with the city and disband the former town police service.

Increasing policing costs were cited as the reason from the city for the decision to end the agreement early.