WRPS respond to Kitchener councillors’ frustration of police billing plan
Posted Feb 10, 2026 11:11:29 AM.
Last Updated Feb 10, 2026 03:13:15 PM.
Tensions have flared between Kitchener city councillors and the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) after it placed a $587,000 bill at the municipality’s feet amid incoming changes to bylaw enforcement.
It all stems from recent changes to provincial legislation, which have given the go-ahead to police boards across Ontario to recover costs for what they deem as “non-core services.”
In the case of WRPS, that includes bylaw enforcement measures, specifically around its dispatch services, which it had been offering at no cost to the city for 30 years, according to reports.
In the wake of the decision to begin charging municipalities for those services, WRPS has given the City of Kitchener the $587,000 bill, which it would expect to be paid on an annual basis and would vary depending on call numbers.
“The fact that we had an operating understanding, we took on certain costs, they took on certain costs over the last 25 plus years, now they’re essentially saying the legislation’s changed, so we’re going to use this as an opportunity to bill you. Is that essentially what the message is from WRPS?” asked Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic.
In response, Michael May, the city’s General Manager of Community Services and Deputy CAO, simply said, “That is correct.”
The push from regional police certainly led to a mix of frustrations from city councillors during the recent Finance and Corporate Services Committee meeting.
One particular point that struck a chord with councillors was the lack of a representative from WRPS when conveying the message or to ask questions to.
“I think it would have been appropriate for somebody from WRPS to actually be here to answer some questions,” said Councillor Jason Deneault. “Unfortunately, questions that we’re asking would be better suited for them to be able to explain why they want to do it now and what their reasoning was.”
He continued to bring up what he described as the convenient timing of the decision from WRPS, particularly around what the city has and hasn’t supported in recent months.
“I’d hate to think that it’s as a result of the City of Kitchener not jumping on board with their new call center,” Deneault added. “I hope that we wouldn’t see that pettiness happen, but it definitely seems like it’s coincidental timing.”
Police respond with strongly worded statement
Cherri Greeno, spokesperson with WRPS, told 570 NewsRadio that it was not a coincidence and discussions between the City of Kitchener began in July 2024.
“To suggest this was a ‘coincidental’ decision or one made without collaboration is false and inaccurate,” Greeno said.
She noted that regional police were not invited to the council discussions, “Had an invitation been extended, we would have been pleased to participate and provide any information required.”
Police said the force is interested in supporting a new dedicated bylaw dispatch model, which includes a standalone phone number and radio channel, both of which would be staffed 24/7 and 365 days. Last year, officers said they confirmed with the municipalities, including Kitchener, to participate in the proposal.
“The WRPS has worked closely since September 2025 with the implementation committee in a fair, transparent, and accommodating process with all partners,” Greeno said.
Kitchener the highest proportion of bylaw calls
During budget talks at the regional level, Vrbanovic introduced a motion to stall what he called the “Taj Mahal” of police communications centres, but it ultimately failed to pass.
Kitchener was not alone in receiving the bill from regional police; other municipalities across Waterloo Region were given billing plans from WRPS, with each seeing slightly different amounts based on the need for bylaw enforcement and dispatching.
“It feels a little bit like, frankly, the police service is starting to nickel and dime us for things,” said Vrbanovic. “I mean, we see it here, we see it with the handling of some things in special events and so on. It’s unfortunate, particularly when there have been significant increases in the region, both from an operating and a capital point of view.”
WRPS had previously stated that the City of Kitchener accounts for the largest number of those bylaw calls that it has received, which is in line with the city’s events, festivals, and more, leading to increased fireworks and noise complaint calls.
It stated that it’s created long wait times for real issues in the city, as WRPS has had to balance the bylaw and regular police calls.
If those municipalities, including Kitchener, do agree to pay the allotted bills, it would also be set to enter a new agreement with WRPS that would include a new proposed model.
That model would see those municipalities gain access to a separate radio channel for bylaw officers to support real-time communications and faster response times, as a result, as well as a single, region-wide phone number for bylaw enforcement dispatch.
On the other end, if Kitchener were to reject the push from WRPS, it would need to begin the process of developing its own bylaw enforcement dispatch system.
City staff said the cost to do it independently would be near what WRPS is already asking for from a cost perspective, but would also give less security and safety to the active enforcement officers.
“As police are the only ones that will have the information on people and property flags, not going with the police dispatch would put our staff at risk,” said Helen Fylactou, Manager of Enforcement with the City of Kitchener.
Ultimately, even though councillors voiced plenty of frustrations, they still agreed to move forward with WRPS, stating that it would be the best thing for both residents and its own bylaw officers alike.
“Despite how disappointed I am that we’re dealing with this, at the end of the day, for me it really comes down to two things. We have a level of service that we want to deliver to our residents,” Vrbanovic stated. “Number two, as an employer, we have a responsibility to look after the well-being of our bylaw officers.”
It means Kitchener would join the likes of Waterloo, Cambridge, and North Dumfries in jumping on board with the proposed dedicated bylaw dispatch system, but official approval is still needed at the council level before anything can be set in stone.
