Police leadership could return to Oshawa under long-term regional plan
A new Durham Regional Police headquarters and training campus is being explored for Oshawa, marking a potential return of top police administration to the region’s largest city more than two decades after it moved to Whitby. Regional council has endorsed, in principle, a $1.1 billion policing plan over ten years that includes replacing the current Central East Division station downtown with a combined divisional facility, a police training centre and a full headquarters complex. A site in the city’s north end is described as likely, though no location has been finalized.
Durham Police Chief Peter Moreira is seeking approval for the headquarters proposal within the broader capital program. The region and the police service have begun assessing options and potential properties. According to Oshawa Councillor Brian Nicholson, the region has set aside funds to act quickly if a suitable parcel becomes available.
“[The region has] started the process of looking for the best site in Oshawa for this new combined station and campus and has provided funds to close any land purchase if an appropriate location is found,” Nicholson said. “Any further financial steps beyond the land purchase and some initial designs for the campus will be decided after the comprehensive review of financial and future capital projects that council approved last month.”
Vote signals support, with formal approval still to come
Council’s in‑principle endorsement passed 18–9. All six Oshawa councillors supported the package, along with Ajax Mayor Shaun Collier, who chairs the police services board, and Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe, who heads the region’s finance committee. Regional Chair John Henry — a former Oshawa mayor — voted against, and had argued the decision should be deferred until after October’s municipal election. The full police budget and staffing plan will return for formal approval in the fall.
The plan contemplates adding up to 673 uniformed officers and 116 civilian roles over the next decade. The combined facility would consolidate operational, administrative and training functions in Oshawa, while replacing the Central East Division station.
“I’m very pleased about the opportunity to be able to see a centre of excellence for Durham Regional Police being located in the great City of Oshawa,” said Mayor Dan Carter, who sits on the police services board.
What a headquarters move could mean for the city
A headquarters campus would concentrate police governance and training activity locally, bringing long‑term institutional presence and potential spinoffs for nearby services and suppliers. Land acquisition and design work would be the first steps, with construction timing to be determined in subsequent budget decisions. Relocating divisional operations could also change traffic and transit needs around a future site, particularly if it is built in north Oshawa, and may affect police response deployment models across the region.
While the in‑principle decision gives regional staff direction to scope properties and early designs, it does not finalize spending beyond enabling a land purchase and initial planning. The detailed capital and operating impacts for taxpayers will be addressed during the fall approval cycle, alongside other regional priorities.
Key figures at a glance
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Long-term police services plan | $1.1 billion over 10 years (in principle) |
| Council vote | 18–9 in favour |
| Staffing request | 673 uniformed, 116 civilian (over 10 years) |
| Facility concept | Combined divisional station, training centre, full HQ in Oshawa |
Next steps
- Identify and evaluate potential Oshawa sites; secure land if an option meets regional needs.
- Advance preliminary design work for a combined headquarters, divisional and training complex.
- Return to Regional Council in the fall for a formal decision on the police budget and staffing plan.
The region’s process will determine the project’s timetable and scope. If approved later this year, the campus would represent a long‑term change in where police leadership and training are located, bringing those core functions back to Oshawa after more than twenty years.
