The members of the Espanola Police Service Association will have to go to arbitration following a breakdown in talks.
Espanola Police Association President, Constable Ed Stortz, says the police association and the town met yesterday to discuss a number of issues related to the impending disbanding of the police service and a contract since the members have been without one since December 2016.
Stortz says yesterday’s mediation talks started out with the best intention of coming to an agreement but with no success and mediation ended.
That has now forced the two sides into arbitration talks on September 24th.
The severance packages are high priority since the Espanola Police Service will be officially disbanded by October 11th and will paid out by the municipality.
The terminations affect 20 people; the chief, 11 officers, dispatchers and a full-time court clerk.
