U.S. tariffs could inflate Halton police budget, including cost of ammo

Capital projects are one area of concern.

Halton Police Chief Stephen Tanner said that the $48-million Halton Hills police station, which is under construction, is currently on budget and on time.

That said, the report presented to the board noted the project team for the station is monitoring the unfolding economic situation with the U.S. closely. Given the construction industry’s reliance on cross-border supply chains, sustained tariffs could lead to notable cost impacts, the report said.

So far, Tanner said no tariff-related price increases have affected the project.

The chief said police are also concerned about tariffs making vehicle purchases more expensive.

Halton police are currently forecast to spend approximately $4 million of this year’s budget on vehicles sourced through Ford, GM, Chrysler and, to a lesser extent, some local dealerships.

They said it is unclear, at present, what the tariff impact will be on these plans.

“We are trying to purchase and have as many purchase orders in place for vehicles as possible, just in consideration of what is probably going to happen,” said Tanner.

“We’re also looking at other things such as ammunition. I believe most of the major ammunition providers are American based. That could have an impact on us as well.”

More expensive ammunition could lead to changes in how officers train, Tanner said.

The chief also noted much of the equipment used by police, even if it comes from Canadian distributors, is probably sourced from the U.S.

“There may be additional impacts from that,” he said.

Deputy Chief Jeff Hill said police conducted an analysis of their 2024 spending and found that $1.7 million in purchases (excluding all costs for vehicles) involved items that likely would have been subject to tariffs.

“We would have seen a $400,000 increase if those tariffs were applied,” he said.

“This is definitely something we are looking at, where we are sourcing, because for sure this is going to have an impact on us.”

Regarding vehicles, Hill said police will adjust by trying to hold on to what they have for longer.