Ward 6 Coun. Sam Trosow is raising questions after learning the London Police Services Board spent over $100,000 retaining a public relations company to pitch its budget to council this year.
“I feel that members of city council were pressured. I think it was made very clear to us that we were not really free to get to get into details about this budget. And I think that there was somewhat of a chilling effect, given the magnitude of the public relations campaign,” said Trosow.
Board Chair Ali Chabhar said hiring the Toronto-based consulting and crisis communications firm ‘Navigator,’ was necessary as the board was making it’s single largest ask in the history of the service, $672-million investment in policing and public safety.
“Was there value for money? Yes, there was, there was a massive return on that investment, which was that Londoners, members of the media, members of city …