The highest London Police Services Budget of $672 million caused an uproar when it was first announced, with protests taking place in front of City Hall.

The budget continues to make waves after heavily redacted documents show the London Police Services Board spent $104,000 on a high-profile public relations firm to help secure the budget, according to reporting by The London Free Press.

“It’s very irresponsible and incredibly wasteful,” said Fanshawe student, Ben Crossett. “London Police Services are very important to this city and its people, but using this money for PR instead of using it to make the city better will send a lot of Londoners the wrong message.”

The London Police Services Board hired the public relations firm, Navigator. Navigator specializes in government relations and public affairs campaigns, among other areas of expertise. The PR firm doesn’t currently have a London office.

“It’s not fair for them to do that,” said Fanshawe student, Mayan Correia. “If you look at a company that hires a PR firm, they are not spending that much at all and the fact that they are the police and spent that much on PR is not justifiable.”

Correia suggested the money could have spent elsewhere.

“A portion of that money should go towards something that contributes to the community,” Correia continued. “The police have a history of abusing their power and I think this issue is a perfect example and I hope Londoners notice and maybe start taking action.”

The London Police Services Board, which decided to spend over $100,000 on PR, includes Councilor Steven Lehman of Ward 8, Councilor Susan Stevenson of Ward 4, and London Mayor, Josh Morgan.

The information regarding this expenditure comes as the London Police Services Board is seeking a decision about their 2024 to 2027 budget.

“I hope that after seeing how they spend our tax money on PR firms, their new budget won’t be approved,” said London home owner Tina Perpores. “They have proven that they will waste money on unnecessary things and that their main focus is getting more money rather than focusing on making London safer.”

The money granted to the London Police Services and the London Police Services Board comes from Londoner's property taxes. London’s property tax rates have been steadily increasing and are expected to continue to do so.

“I don’t have a lot of extra money that can be squeezed out of me after all the increases to the cost of living we've seen recently,” Perpores continued.

Chief of London Police Services, Thai Troung, has yet to comment on the expenditure.

“The administration at the London Police Service consistently employs a delicate approach when evaluating all budget requests, ensuring that each is justified and necessary,” said the London Police Board Operating and Capital Budget Submission. “This approach is deeply ingrained in the culture and history of the London Police Service, reflecting a commitment to minimizing the utilization of resources while carefully balancing the implications on property taxes for community members. This delicate balance is maintained with the utmost regard for the safety and well-being of both the public and the members of the police service.”

The budget submission shows that the London Police Services Board is asking for increases for all four years.