Police & By-Law Reform

Public Safety in Smiths Falls

Police reform and by-law reform are distinct, but they work together to build a town that is safer, cleaner, fairer, and more accountable to the people who live here.

Police Reform

Focus police resources on serious public safety concerns and the people who need protection most.

Protecting youth and victims of violence
Responding effectively to domestic violence
Supporting people in crisis through health partnerships
Holding repeat offenders accountable

By-Law Reform

Make enforcement proactive, consistent, and fair so neighbourhoods stay safe, clean, and cared for.

Improving neighbourhood standards
Addressing problem properties
Consistent, predictable enforcement
A fairer fine structure that reflects ability to pay

Community Poll on Policing: SFPS or OPP?

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POLICE REFORM

Police Reform and Accountable Oversight

My approach to policing begins with three priorities: keeping residents safe, ensuring meaningful civilian oversight, and delivering responsible value for taxpayers.

I have spoken with many residents who strongly support switching to the OPP. Some are frustrated by crime in Smiths Falls. Others have raised concerns about police conduct. Many, however, are most concerned with how policing is governed, particularly the transparency, responsiveness, and accountability of the Smiths Falls Police Services Board.

The most common concern remains cost. Policing represents one of the Town’s largest expenses, and many residents believe switching to the OPP could provide significant savings.

If elected mayor, my first priority would be to pursue meaningful reform of the Police Services Board and strengthen the way local policing is overseen. This is not about unfairly criticizing frontline officers or interfering in police operations. It is about ensuring that the civilian body responsible for representing the public is transparent, responsive, respectful, and willing to act on reasonable reforms supported by voters.

One of the strongest arguments for maintaining a local police service is that it should provide greater democratic accountability than a larger provincial system. Residents should have a meaningful voice in local policing priorities, spending, governance, and public reporting. But local accountability is only an advantage when the oversight system functions properly.

The Police Services Board must demonstrate a genuine willingness to listen to residents, engage constructively with criticism, conduct as much of its work publicly as possible, establish measurable priorities, and report clearly on results and spending.

If the Board embraces those reforms, I believe there is a strong case for improving and preserving the Smiths Falls Police Service. If it resists meaningful reform, it would fundamentally weaken the principal argument for accepting the higher cost of a local service. At that point, I would be fully open to switching to the OPP.

Local Policing Requires Local Accountability

The strongest argument for maintaining the Smiths Falls Police Service is that local policing should offer stronger democratic oversight and greater responsiveness to community priorities. That advantage depends on an effective Police Services Board.

The Board must listen respectfully, operate transparently, establish clear priorities, report publicly on performance and spending, and demonstrate that community concerns lead to meaningful action. Without accountable civilian oversight, the case for paying more to maintain a local police service becomes much harder to defend.

Reform Oversight First. Keep the OPP Option Open.

My position is not an unconditional defence of the current system, nor is it a commitment to immediately replace the Smiths Falls Police Service. The first step should be to repair and strengthen civilian oversight. That means improving transparency, public engagement, financial accountability, performance reporting, and the relationship between the Police Services Board and the community.

At the same time, the Town should obtain a clear and transparent comparison between the SFPS and the OPP. That comparison should examine costs, transition expenses, staffing, service levels, response capacity, specialized resources, local influence, and long-term financial implications. Residents deserve a decision based on evidence, not institutional loyalty, political pressure, or resistance to change.

Protect Youth

Focus police and community resources on protecting young people from exploitation, violence, and serious safety risks.

Respond to Violence

Ensure effective responses to domestic violence, repeat offending, and immediate threats to residents.

Support People in Crisis

Connect people experiencing mental-health, addiction, or housing crises with appropriate health and social services whenever it can be done safely.

Reform Civilian Oversight

Improve Police Services Board transparency, public engagement, financial accountability, and reporting on community priorities.

A SERIOUS RESPONSE

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence requires a particularly serious and comprehensive response. These situations can be dangerous and are often connected to housing insecurity, financial pressure, trauma, mental-health challenges, substance use, and family breakdown.

A stronger local response should bring together police, victim services, mental-health professionals, housing providers, schools, and community organizations. The objective must be to protect victims, hold offenders accountable, and reduce the risk of repeated harm.

The Right Response for the Right Problem

Police have an essential role in protecting residents and responding to crime. However, not every social problem should be pushed into the criminal justice system. Mental-health crises, substance-use disorders, homelessness, and other forms of instability are often health and social-service issues. Whenever it can be done safely, people should be connected with treatment, housing support, crisis intervention, and community services rather than being unnecessarily criminalized.

That does not mean ignoring crime. It means distinguishing between someone who needs medical assistance, someone who needs social support, and someone who presents a real threat to others. Police resources should be concentrated where police powers and training are genuinely required.

A Practical Path Forward

If elected mayor, I will work with Council, the Police Services Board, police leadership, health agencies, schools, housing providers, community organizations, and residents to establish measurable public-safety priorities.

Public Performance Measures

Establish clear goals and regular public reporting on crime trends, response times, community concerns, service outcomes, and spending.

Transparent Civilian Oversight

Reduce unnecessary closed-door decision-making and ensure that residents can understand how major policing priorities and policies are established.

Health and Crisis Partnerships

Expand partnerships that allow mental-health, addiction, housing, and crisis professionals to respond when police intervention is not the most appropriate solution.

An Honest SFPS–OPP Comparison

Conduct a transparent, evidence-based review of the cost, service, accountability, and public-safety implications of maintaining the SFPS or transitioning to the OPP.

Finding Common Ground

Politics is the art of the possible. Pursuing oversight reform first while keeping the OPP option firmly on the table gives residents with different views an opportunity to find common ground.

Those who value a local police service should support the transparency and accountability reforms necessary to justify maintaining it. Those who favour the OPP should have confidence that their concerns about cost, governance, and service will receive a fair and serious evaluation.

My commitment is not to preserving a particular institution at any cost. It is to public safety, effective civilian oversight, democratic accountability, and responsible use of taxpayers’ money.

By-Law Reform

By-law enforcement is one of the most practical tools a municipality has to improve daily life. When properties are neglected, dogs are not cleaned up after, clutter and debris pile up, sidewalks are blocked, or basic community standards are not enforced, the whole town feels the impact.

If elected Mayor, I will support a much more proactive by-law enforcement regime in Smiths Falls.

The goal is to create a fair, predictable, and consistent system where residents understand the rules, violations are addressed early, and problem properties are not allowed to drag down entire neighbourhoods. Not to punish people for the sake of punishment.

Daily Life Issues

Dog waste left behind
Derelict and neglected buildings
clutter and debris piling up
Blocked sidewalks
Basic community standards ignored

A small fine that is consistently enforced can be more effective than a large fine that is rarely used.

People’s willingness to follow rules is influenced far more by the likelihood of being caught and held accountable than by the severity of the punishment. Smiths Falls needs a by-law system that is visible, responsive, and consistent enough that people understand there are real consequences for ignoring the rules.

This approach is connected to the classic “broken windows” idea, when small problems are ignored, they can create the impression that larger problems will also be tolerated.

Addressing minor issues early, fairly, and consistently can add up to meaningful improvements in safety, cleanliness, neighbourhood pride, and public confidence. A cleaner, better-maintained town sends a message that Smiths Falls cares about itself.

Discarded material tied to a tree on a neglected Smiths Falls property, illustrating the Nate Morris Mayor Election 2026 campaign plan for proactive by-law enforcement and stronger property standards

I believe in a public safety strategy that is firm where it needs to be, compassionate where it should be, and practical at every step.

Police reform and by-law reform are both part of that work. Together, they can help build a town that is safer, cleaner, fairer, and more accountable to the people who live here.

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