Various policy and financial modifications
Councils across the region are facing stiff headwinds this spring when they sit down to debate police budgets. In turn, depending on where they live, taxpayers will also be buffeted by more property taxes going for public safety issues.
Understandably, improving public safety continues to be a very high priority for residents and businesses, particularly in light of the spike in violent random attacks and public disorder. There also seems to be an uptick in high profile crimes such as the dreadful bank shootout in Saanich this past summer.
This year there’s a confluence of significant changes that will impact public safety along with property tax bills in Greater Victoria.
- To start with, the province’s special all-party committee on reforming the police act released its report in April called Transforming Policing and Community Safety in B.C.
It mentions “Regional or Regional Policing” 27 times, although the recommendations are general in nature. It makes a recommendation “to amalgamate police services on a regional basis where there are opportunities to address fragmentation, ensure equitable access to policing and public safety, and improve efficiency and effectiveness.”
It’s expected the province will announce more policy changes this year.
- The province also launched an independent, short-term study into repeat criminal offenders in B.C., which will guide the province’s plans to curb escalating chronic crime and random attacks.
The recommendations of this new study were unveiled in September as to how the government can deal with prolific offenders. Focusing on mental health and addiction options, none of the 28 different recommendations involve more policing, instead recommending an after-crime approach.
Crown prosecutors have been told to ask judges to keep suspected criminals deemed “repeat violent offenders” behind bars while awaiting trial on new violence or gun charges under a new provincial directive.
In November, the B.C. Prosecution Service said it is immediately implementing the revised bail policy, But it remains to be seen if they will successfully address concerns residents have about escalating street crime.
In the capital region the changes to public safety mainly focus on funding the Mounties.
- Municipalities policed by the RCMP had their E-Comm 9-1-1 service charges paid by the province since 2019, but they must pick up more of those costs starting in 2022-23.
- All municipalities policed by the RCMP will see significant increases in their police contract costs due to the new RCMP/National Police Federation Union contract.
The Westshore communities of Metchosin, Langford, View Royal, and Colwood, plus Sooke, Sidney and North Saanich have to varying degrees been preparing for the financial hit.
There’s a significant cost for retroactive pay for RCMP members, covering the period 2017 to 2021, which may be passed onto the municipalities.
The municipalities, through the Union of BC Municipalities and the Canadian Federation of Municipalities have appealed to the federal government to absorb the cost. The federal minister of public safety agreed to postpone the payment of backpay, but have yet to make a decision on all or some of those costs. As it stands now, the general taxpayer is subsidizing smaller municipalities.
Labour cost hikes with the RCMP may put pressure on or very well spill over to those incurred by municipal police forces.
- Two municipalities have also exceeded population thresholds and so will be paying more for RCMP services this year.
Sooke’s costs will rise from 75 to 90 per cent given their population is more than 15,000 in the 2021 census.
Metchosin’s population exceeded 5,000 so they signed a contract with the RCMP covering 75 per cent of the policing costs.
Colwood, Langford and View Royal are discussing a $82.4-million addition to the Westshore RCMP Headquarters. As it’s jointly owned the capital cost would be shared.
Esquimalt faces the task of deciding to renew their agreement with Victoria or find alternate means to police that municipality. A public consultation was held and a consultant contracted to report on alternatives this year. If Esquimalt opts out of the agreement – and gets approval by the province – Victoria’s policing costs and various other issues will need to be reviewed.
- Our analysis, based on the province’s 2021 Police Resources in BC Report, found that in 2021 policing cost a total of $136-million in the region, or about 19 per cent of the total municipal operating expenditures.
But municipalities paid anywhere from 4.6 per cent of their operating expenses in Metchosin, to a high of 25.6 per cent in Victoria/Esquimalt on policing.
Costs are trending upwards: Since 2016, Victoria’s share of their budget going to policing has risen from 22.8 to 25.8 per cent, and Esquimalt’s rose from 22.9 to 25 per cent.
So, the continuing saga of Victoria and Esquimalt paying the lion’s share of policing costs, while the rest of the region ignores and benefits from downtown coverage, will continue to fester as a major unresolved regional issue.
- It’s hoped the Citizens’ Assembly, charged with exploring the idea of amalgamating Victoria and Saanich, will order a separate study into pros, cons and costs of consolidating the two police forces. The assembly is expected to start deliberations this year.
There’s a bottom line here.
The current fractured law enforcement model with multiple police forces is simply not up to the demands and alternative approaches must be considered.
If there ever was a time to seriously consider innovative solutions to moderate costs for the stretched taxpayer, it’s now.