Chateauguay police from now on number 11 permanent police officers less than at the time when the department serviced the municipality of Mercier.
Before the putting in place of the Mercier service in July of 2017, the Chateauguay forces of law and order counted 105 police officers. They now number 94, according to Lucie Lamoureux, special counsellor to the City of Chateauguay director general.
The decrease represents a reduction of cost of $1.4 million for the municipality, or an average of $130,000 in salaries and social advantages per police officer.
The reduction is being made by attrition, through a series of departures via retirement or other reasons. The ententes to this effect were finalized with the union concerned following the preparation of the City’s budget for 2019. That explains the surplus in the amount of $1.5 million registered by the municipality that year in the public safety domain. The City Council budgeted the salaries but, following the agreement, the manpower was reduced and the costs became less than forecast.
The council foresaw spending $28.1 million in public security expenses in 2019. The cost was $26.6 million according to the financial results of the current year presented by the City this fall.
The public security includes the policing service and the fire protection service.
The Chateauguay police department services this city, as well as Lery, Beauharnois and St. Isidore.
