A councillor known for being outspoken against the Saint John Board of Police Commissioners has been appointed to the board.
Greg Norton will serve a second term on the board, which he has long advocated dissolving.
The city councillor says many issues the board faced during his last term remain important now.
“How do we control the budget, and the escalating cost there? It’s the largest single budget line that we have,” Norton said of the $24.3 million police budget.
He cites recreation, roads, and municipal services as areas that have seen cuts while the city’s police expenses continue to rise.
Norton has long advocated Saint John adopt a Public Safety Committee, similar to the model used in Fredericton.
“The police commission right now is only required to receive an envelope of money, and then has no reporting obligation back to council at all,” said Norton. “A public safety committee on the other hand, would be made up of council and other appointees.”
The committee would oversee the city’s various public safety agencies, including police, fire and emergency operations.
Norton compared it to the city’s growth or finance committees, which have broader scopes than the police commission.
In late 2020, the police budget received scrutiny at common council after it was submitted without a public presentation.
Norton wants the commission to be more publicly accountable with the city’s highest budget expense.
“We need more transparency between the police commission and council,” he said. “Right now, we provide them an envelope of money, but how those monies are spent and how it gets reported to the public we’re accountable to – it needs much work.”
Regardless of office, it is a solemn privilege to serve within your community. Thank you to #SJCouncil for their confidence in appointing me to represent the best interests of our great community and the citizens we serve on the @saintjohnpolice Board of Police Commissioners. pic.twitter.com/tfJ0InRVv2
— Greg Norton (@GregNortonSJ) February 25, 2021
