An open letter to the frontline officers of the Sarnia Police Service

In Nathan’s latest column he addresses the growing divide between administrative expansion and the daily realities of frontline policing. The column calls for greater transparency regarding budget increases and leadership priorities at the Sarnia Police Service.

To the men and women who put on the uniform every day and do the real work in our community,

I want to start by acknowledging the difficult job you do. You’re the ones responding to overdoses, domestic calls, mental health crises, and everything else that lands on your plate. You’re the face of the service to the public, and you’re the ones who carry the weight when decisions made higher up affect how the community sees all of you.

For the last several years, the Sarnia Police Services Board has approved budget after budget that increased spending from $27.36 million in 2022 to $38.73 million in 2026. Yet many of you continue to face the same pressures on the street. Questions have been raised about how that additional funding is being allocated, including the growth of administrative roles and changes in internal oversight.

Officers have also raised concerns about pressures within the service, including how time, leave, and support for those dealing with stress and trauma are being managed. These are not abstract issues. They affect the people doing the work every day.

At the same time, Chief Derek Davis operates a consulting company, Norigen Management Consulting Inc., with a current subordinate listed as a business partner. That arrangement raises questions about how potential conflicts of interest are identified and managed. There has also been discussion around multiple senior hires from Halton Police Service, where the Chief previously worked, and what that means for hiring practices and priorities within the service.

The service’s public communications have also become a larger part of how policing is presented in the community. Media releases, messaging, and public-facing content now play a visible role in shaping how the service is understood.

More recently, the focus has shifted toward criticism itself. The service is seeking $1.5 million in damages through legal action against a local journalist and independent outlet. The Board has indicated that legal costs associated with the case are being covered, raising questions about how public resources are being used.

I’m not against police officers. I’m against leadership decisions that prioritize administrative growth, internal priorities, and public messaging in ways that many feel are not translating into meaningful support for the people doing the hardest part of the job.

The Sarnia Police Services Board is supposed to provide independent oversight. The community has a right to ask questions about spending, hiring, governance, and how public money is being used. And you deserve a service that puts frontline officers and community safety first.

You can support police officers and still question leadership. Those are not opposing positions. If anything, they depend on each other.

I’m happy to listen if any of you ever want to talk. My door, and my inbox, are always open.