The Wingham Police Service has been policing the small Huron County town of Wingham, Ont. since 1879. But come Thursday at noon, that all ends.

That's when Wingham will start getting its policing from the Huron County OPP.

Following decades of debate on whether to expand or disband, late last year North Huron Council decided the town of 3,000 could no longer afford their own police force.

Costs to operate the force, including the hiring of more officers, was expected to nearly double the Wingham Police Service budget to nearly $2 million/year.

In contrast, while more costly in the first year to cover unpaid overtime and banked vacation days of current Wingham officers, switching to the OPP is forecast to save Wingham taxpayers $8.2 million over the next 10 years.

The handover of protecting Wingham officially happens, Thursday at noon.

Even the outgoing Wingham police Chief Tim Poole calls the switch to the OPP the right decision.

Poole says, “I never wanted to be the last Wingham police chief, but it just became too costly for the town.”