The London Police Services Board has officially taken its budget battle with the city to the Ontario Civilian Police Commission.
A copy if its application to the commission to have the city reinstate a multi-million dollar cut from the police budget has been submitted to the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee.
The committee meets on Monday.
The board is asking the OCPC to direct the city to reverse a cut of $4-million to the four-year police budget.
It is also asking for an additional amount to be determined in 2019 to cover any possible increases as a result of future collective bargaining agreements.
Grounds for the application are summarized in the document and highlight that the board followed the city's direction for budget estimates for 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.
The application also states that the budget estimates presented to council represented the "funding required to provide the appropriate level of policing required to satisfy the service contemplated by the police services act."
Council carved roughly $1-million annually out of the four-year police budget, approving $396-million on March 10. But London police argue the money is needed to hire five more officers and one civilian employee.
A decision by the OCPC would be binding.
This is the first time in its history that London Police Services Board has appealed to the OCPC.
