While expressing sympathy for those suffering from work-related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Robert Keetch, Sault Ste. Marie Police Service chief, said new Ontario legislation could have a negative effect on the service’s operating costs.
The potential PTSD/bottom line dilemma stems from new presumptive legislation in regard to emergency service providers.
Bill 163, Supporting Ontario’s First Responders Act, passed in April 2016, recognizes police officers, firefighters, paramedics and nurses are now predetermined to qualify for PTSD claims as a result of work-related stress, with faster access to treatment and the information they need to stay healthy.
One Sault Police officer made a successful PTSD claim in spring, 2017, Keetch said, while another officer has filed a PTSD claim due to cumulative stress.
“We have a service provider that reintegrates, so we would look at a graduated return to work…it may go from accommodated return to work to full functionality. We haven’t had anyone go off and come back on PTSD, so it’s new. We’re learning as we go through this process,” Keetch said, adding more of the service’s members may go off on PTSD under the new legislation, whether through a traumatic incident or cumulative stress.
Keetch noted such PTSD cases are not unique to the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service.
“If resources aren’t available (if some officers are off duty while they grapple with PTSD) then there are certain contractual requirements within the collective agreement with regard to staffing models that we have to provide,” Keetch said, speaking to SooToday after Thursday’s Sault Ste. Marie Police Services Board meeting.
“If the number of available officers decreases from a patrol perspective, then in many instances we have to potentially bring individuals in on overtime to meet those contractual obligations, so it impacts the bottom line through overtime costs, and potential loss of productivity with not having a person at work with WSIB claims.”
Keetch said that goes above and beyond the Police Service’s budget.
“We would budget for the individual to be present and work the 2,080 hours in a year, but we wouldn’t budget for that administrative cost (with WSIB) because it would be unanticipated.”
“It’s going to have an adverse impact on the bottom line because it’s very difficult to predict the future and how many officers will potentially be off because of PTSD,” Keetch said.
On another financial matter facing the Sault Police Service, Keetch said it remains to be seen how to deal with the loss of $215,000 as a result of Prince Township’s Dec. 19 announcement it will terminate its agreement with Sault Police and seek policing services from the OPP.
The City of Sault Ste. Marie entered into an agreement with Prince Township in 2014 for the provision of police services, Prince paying for those services in agreed-upon increasing increments, from $143,000 in 2014-2015, to $190,000 for 2017-2018.
Keetch said the end of the agreement with Prince Township will affect the Sault Police Service’s 2019 budget.
However, Keetch said there will be no job losses in the Sault Police Service as a result, but “there are areas within the budget we could find (to compensate for the loss).”
“One of the areas where we traditionally find some efficiencies is in training,” Keetch said.
“We will budget for training based on the needs of the service…and some of the costs associated with overtime.”
“It’s concerning (financially),” Keetch said, but told the board Prince didn’t generate a lot of calls for service.
“There were 87 calls for service from January to the end of September. Traditionally we’d see about 100 calls for service to Prince Township out of about 28,000 we respond to, so it’s minor in nature. The loss of that area is going to affect the budget but it’s not going to free up a lot of resources,” Keetch said.
“I think we should have ongoing discussions with Prince, if we do enter into an agreement with Prince again to provide (police) services, it should be this board (the Police Services Board) that enters into an agreement with Prince to provide services as opposed to the City,” said Mayor Christian Provenzano at Thursday’s meeting.