Police funding boost recommended as London library services face cuts

Mayor Josh Morgan pushes for a 10-per-cent budget increase for the London Police Service to curb rising property crime, a move amid the London Public’s Library plea for additional funding to continue youth services and to keep their Parkland Branch open to low-income residents.

In a city council meeting, Morgan endorsed the Police Service’s request for a budget increase to maintain the safety of London residents facing spikes in vandalism, theft and break-ins following COVID-19. In the same meeting, Morgan rejected the London Public Library’s request for the same increase amount.

This dispute underscores a broader budget trade-off as city council decides between police resources and maintaining library services relied on by many families. While a deadline for city council to make a final decision has not been made, budget deliberations appear to be pending for at least a few weeks.

In a press conference, Cameron Kelcey, director of communication for the City of London mayor’s office, states that the decision to make the funding request was not an easy one.

“As the mayor strives to make London a world class city, the safety of Londoners is his top priority,” says Kelcey. “The City Council receives requests for increase from many city organizations due to a limited budget, [but] the city is unfortunately unable to approve all of these requests, and some matters must take priority over others.”

According to the London Police Services Board (LPSB), London saw a vast improvement in the overall reduction of crime, experiencing the most drastic decline in Crime Index Severity (CSI) compared to other major Canadian cities in 2023. However, property crime remains the leading offence in London.

Representatives of the mayor’s office maintain that property crime cases only have a 15 per cent resolution rate, arguing that a budget increase would provide the resources needed to hire more officers, thus improving response time and investigation efficiency.

Meanwhile, library advocates warn that without increased funding, coveted public services across the city would shrink. Media literacy alone is not at stake--after-school programs and access to community spaces will be among the first to go across all 17 library locations in London.

Zarif Sinha, spokesperson for the Friends of the London Public Library, references a 2020 University of Toronto study that disproves the correlation between police funding and crime rates across 20 of Canada’s largest municipalities.

Moreover, the Friends of the Library recently celebrated the reopening of its Sherwood branch, successfully donating $100,000 in support of the location’s new children area. Today, the Parkland Library is at risk of closure, a decision Sinha warns is detrimental to at-risk youth.

“This affects our marginalized communities,” says Sinha. “[E]specially Black and Brown youth, and because of the dire consequences of even being charged once has on people, […] young people get stuck in the system and face high recidivism rates. Libraries can offer a way out.”

The funding debate surfaces as the London Police Service faces ongoing scrutiny. The LPSB 2025 report mentions that that increased police visibility and engagement leads to better community trust. However, in light of previous assault charges by Inspector Ryan Scrivens and an officer’s reckless driving resulting in the death of civilian, City Council is understandably taking their time deliberating Morgan’s recommendation.

At the same time, library officials acknowledge growing demand for services has stretched resources thin despite having one of the highest satisfaction rates of all public City services. As a result, most Londoners are unaware that the library can help adults with income tax workshops, tech tutoring sessions or even funeral planning. Consequently, councillors are unsure whether the Public Library is still worth investing in.

The debate leaves councillors balancing investments in policing against maintaining community services relied on by many families. Council is expected to continue deliberations in the coming weeks before a final vote that could determine whether library services face cuts. Regardless, the decision may make or break Morgan’s campaign for re-election in the fall.