Sarnia police to lease additional space amid ongoing headquarters debate

Amid controversy over a new headquarters, the Sarnia Police Service Board is looking to enter a pair of five-year leases. Gerry Dewan explains.

Sarnia police will lease additional office space to ease overcrowding at their downtown headquarters as debate continues over the long-term future of the service’s facilities.

At Thursday’s meeting of the Sarnia Police Services Board, Chief Derek Davis outlined plans to lease two additional locations to address what he described as immediate operational pressure points.

He said the measures would ease congestion but stop short of resolving all issues facing the current headquarters.

“These are pressure points that we can action today,” Davis told the board. “But it doesn’t fix all of our needs.”

While specific lease arrangements are still being finalized, Davis said one of the new locations will be in the downtown and will house victim services, the police impact team and the Mental Health Engagement and Response Team (MHEART), which focuses on community outreach and downtown patrols. He said the move will reduce crowding at headquarters while maintaining a visible police presence in the core.

“I think it’s a great opportunity,” he said.

A second leased location will be used to shift collision-reporting services away from the headquarters parking lot, where long lineups can form, particularly during poor weather.

“A bad snow day, there are a big lineup of people that are here, and it’s not good for the public,” Davis said. “It’s congested, it’s crowded, there’s undue delay.”

The two new leases will be added to an existing leased space at Lambton Mall currently used for police training. Davis said the new leases will carry a total cost approximately $200,000 per year and are expected to run for five years.

Despite the added space, Davis acknowledged the headquarters continues to face significant infrastructure challenges that do not have quick fixes. He said the prisoner sally port cannot accommodate modern transport vehicles, while the gun range and holding cells do not meet current standards.

The need for a new police headquarters remains a contentious issue in the community.

Current estimates place the cost of a new facility at more than $120 million.

Davis has recently taken a less forceful stance on the issue, saying the service is exploring a range of options.

“We’re exploring all opportunities. We’re looking at all different types of solutions,” he told reporters. “At the end of the day, the facts will dictate what we need to do.”

The board meeting also followed recent legal action involving the chief. Earlier this month, Davis filed a $1.5‑million defamation lawsuit, funded by the board, in Superior Court against journalist Nathanael Colquhoun, The Sarnia Journal and its parent company, Sarnia Media Group Inc.

According to the statement of claim, Davis alleges that articles, complaints circulated to city council and the police services board, and a 34‑minute YouTube video published in March and April 2026 contained false and defamatory statements.

The claim alleges Davis was accused of corruption, breaching hiring safeguards and diverting public funds through a privately operated consulting business.

The lawsuit states that Davis operates Norigen Management Consulting Inc. on a part‑time basis, that the business was disclosed to and approved by the police services board prior to his appointment as chief, and that there is no overlap between the consulting work and his duties with the police service.

The claim also addresses reporting related to the hiring of a civilian employee with prior legal issues, stating the individual was hired through the standard recruitment process and that Davis did not bypass any vetting protocols.

The plaintiff alleges the defendants continued publishing the statements despite receiving libel notices and did so with the intent of damaging his reputation and undermining his position.

The police services board has publicly supported funding the legal action. Board Chair Kelly Ash said the chief has been wrongly accused.

“He doesn’t deserve it,” Ash said. “He’s done none of the things that are being claimed, and he’s only made this service better.”

Speaking Thursday, Davis said the lawsuit followed a prolonged dispute.

“This is not a sudden thing. This has been a long road building towards this,” he said. “Despite all the off‑ramps that were clearly offered, some people choose not to take them.”

He added that while people are entitled to express opinions, “you’re also responsible for what you say and what you do.”

The allegations raised in the lawsuit have not been tested in court, and the defendants have not yet filed a statement of defence.