Ottawa police to raise price of accident reports

Ottawa Police Chief Vern Whiteplans to raise the cost insurance companies pay for vehicle accident reports from $48 to close to $3,300, a seventy-fold increase he says is proportional to the cost of the actual work.

Police file17,000 motor vehicle collision reports every year, said White, and about 45 a year involve complicated reconstructions of collision scenes and take many man hours. He says the $48 police have been charging fora report is far too little.

"We need to recoup the amount of money we put into developing the reports. Not photocopying them...developing them," said White, who said other police departments across the country have made similar moves to increase the costs for the reports.

White said the service price increase is needed to help make up for a potential shortfall due to the rising costs of gas for police cruisers.

White said police are on pace to be $750,000 over budget on fuel costs in 2011-2012.