4 -"g highway option heing broadened by the Province anabTan Qampton ~ 6~4~#c~ A Metroland Community Newspaper Vol. 143 No. 73 Tuesday, November 26, 2002 40 Pages Town heIping find new tenant for former site of Quality Greens Austen & Noble Proec Yur In en specializing in residential and rural properties lAuto Business 205 Main St. E. 878-717 Semv5g Kilt.. "e lue 1 $ 1.00 (GST included) Photo by GRAHAM PAINE vReal nose for a parade Cailey Roberson, 11, takes in Sunday's Milton Santa Claus Parade along Main Street while decked out in a red nose and santa hat. The annual event drew thousands ta downtown Milton. Se. more parade photos and information on the Community Page. Ilalton police seek almost 9 per cent budget increase By HOWARD MOZEL Special to The Champion The Halton Regional Police Services Board begrudgingly approved an operating budget calling for an 8.95 per cent spend- ing mncrease Thursday. lns passing thse service's $61.7-million 2003 budget, board members made it clear to Police Chief Ean Algar Usat efficiencies must be found within Use organization or else budgets will continue to escalate and double-digit increases will become the noms. "We're gomng to have to make snme choices about wbere we're gomng in Use future," said board member and Burlington Councillor John Taylor. Chief Algar said he couldn't agree more, addmng Usat bis agency is constantly seek- ing and implementing ways to stretch every dollar. Trouble is, a host of mandato- ry and prescriptive legisiation - coupled with sptraling growth and the demands of the public - make this harder every year. "We have an excellent police service, but the future's gomng 10 be challenging," said Chief Algar. wbo takes pride in the fact Halton remains thc safest community in Canada with a population of 100,000 or more. Particularly vexing 10 both Chief Algar and the board. however, is thse costs involved in transporsing prisoners 10 court, protecting courthouses and dealing with more than 400 criminal offenses a year at Milton's Maplehurst Correctional Facility. These duties amount to more than $2-mil- lion worth of duties that should be handled and paid for by thse Province. said board member Keith Bird. In the 2003 budget alone, thse chief is asking for an $853,400 mncrease for court services. When Maplehursi expands yet again next year 10 bouse 1,600 mnmates, the number of their offences will jump, and so, will the drain on police resources. ."Policing is policing and tbis is just secu- rity," said board member Jack Brewer. "We need police officers on the street doing police work." Milton and Regional Councillor Richard Malboeuf, who sat in on bis first meeting as a board member Thursday, asked what the consequences would be if Halton police sinsply refused 10 provide court security. Mr. Taylor explained that some judges have said they would supersede thse chief's discretion laid out in the Police Act and hold hlm in contempt. se. REGIONAL on page 2 Comment ........ 6 Datolns ......... 9 Business ....... 10 Classified..21-23 e Tuusday, Novmbar 26 a »# WleRose * &usiness oep«t* aVacum Slre " Flyers In MotionV*e On Sit Magazie* " Sportmaiv * eBeam * eHang pGallery* eDowntown Holiday Guide 2002* Michaels *e SeaîV *e Blacits Plsotography* *Selected aruas only m ýlà--