The Sarnia Police Service (SPS) has been working overtime to convince the public that they desperately need a brand-new headquarters. And if you strip away all the justifications about HVAC issues, plumbing problems, and “future needs,” one of the most consistent reasons they cite is their gun range.
According to Chief Derek Davis, the police need a new facility because their current headquarters no longer meets their firearms training needs. Yet in 2023, not a single Sarnia police officer fired their weapon at a person. The only recorded shot fired was at an animal, and most of their firearm-related incidents involved pointing weapons at individuals rather than discharging them. Despite this, the proposed new headquarters includes plans for a modernized gun range because they don't have one currently. The question that remains is whether this level of training infrastructure is necessary for policing in Sarnia and why they can't just use an already existing one like anyone else would?
The estimated cost for the new facility is currently set at $60 million, though large-scale municipal projects often exceed initial estimates. Meanwhile, a report outlining the costs of repairing and modernizing the existing police headquarters suggests that the necessary upgrades could be completed for less than $5 million. This means the SPS has already spent $200,000 on a feasibility study that essentially told them their problems can be solved at a fraction of the cost of a new building. Yet that option has been ignored entirely. Neither the police board nor the chief has acknowledged it as a serious alternative, and City Council has yet to step in and challenge why this report is being dismissed.
Instead, the police are now preparing to request another $500,000 for an architect and site planning, setting the stage for what will inevitably become a multi-year commitment. By the time City Council is asked for full project funding in August 2025, the argument will likely shift from whether a new headquarters is needed to the idea that too much money has already been invested to turn back. This is how large projects like this gain momentum—incremental approvals that make it feel more difficult to stop with each step.
City Council needs to reject every step toward a new building before it reaches the point of no return. The public shouldn’t be forced to pay for an unnecessary facility when the existing headquarters could be upgraded for a fraction of the cost. If the police themselves won’t consider this, then it falls on City Council to do it for them. There is no justification for spending millions in public funds on a new facility when a much cheaper solution already exists. Letting this process continue unchecked will only result in wasted money and a larger, more entrenched police presence that does little to improve public safety.