Why doesn’t the city bill bill the CRD for policing?
A fractured policing model costing $800 million annually continues to make law enforcement in the capital region more expensive and less effective.
According to an analysis of current provincial data by Grumpy Taxpayers, entitled Police Costs Greater Victoria, policing the South Island cost taxpayers almost $800 million in 2022 for 600 police across multiple fragmented forces.
At $284 million or 22.5% of their municipal budget Victoria and Esquimalt taxpayers continue to cope with a disproportionate burden to pay for policing the core area and the region beyond.
“Which city in Canada has this many police forces?” asks John Treleaven, chair of Grumpy Taxpayers. “No one does because it’s costly and not as effective as it should be. It amounts to a breach of fiduciary duty.”
If Victoria is looking at billing senior government for public safety expenses, maybe they should also be billing the CRD, says Treleaven. They clearly pay a disproportionate share of policing costs on the South Island.
The issues become even more noticeable as the regional population increases every year, estimated in January 2023 at 440,000 by the CRD.
Even though the landmark report “Transforming Policing and Community Safety in British Columbia” of April 2022 expressed support for addressing law enforcement fragmentation ‘to ensure equitable access to policing and public safety, and improve efficiency and effectiveness,’ it seems that the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General is reluctant to move on that recommendation.
It’s hoped though the Victoria-Saanich Citizens’ Assembly on Municipal Amalgamation that kicked off in February will study regional policing to shed more light on the topic, Treleaven says.
The BC 2022 Police Resources annual roundup details the costs of the Westshore RCMP including Colwood, Langford, Sooke, Highlands, Metchosin, Songhees First Nation and Esquimalt First Nation, and the Sidney/North Saanich detachment. There are also four separate municipal police forces in Victoria-Esquimalt, Saanich, Oak Bay, and Central Saanich.
In 2022 both Victoria and Esquimalt spent 22.5% of their respective budgets on policing, while other municipalities spent from a low of 5.7% (Highlands) to a high of 17.4% (Central Saanich). The largest municipality, Saanich, spent 17.1% on policing.
All figures predate the unionization of the RCMP in August 2021, which is now adding significantly more to budgets that employ Mounties. Since 2022, as well, Metchosin has grown larger than 5,000 people. As a result it will no longer be subsidized by the federal taxpayer and local police costs will rise substantially.
Our analysis details police strength, population per officer, the number of Criminal Code offences, crime rate, case load, policing and cost per capita.
The crime severity index – which takes into account the volume and seriousness of crime – continues to be very high in Victoria, as does the policing costs per capita. At $572, the policing costs per capita in Victoria and $456 in Esquimalt were significantly greater than all other municipalities in the region.
Meanwhile, Esquimalt is exploring the idea of breaking away from the joint Victoria-Esquimalt police force but has recently agreed to extend their contract for another year. It also decided to trim it’s budget for a new public safety building although minus space for a police department.
READ MORE
Victoria mayor’s safety panel seeks public input, Times Colonist, Mar. 24, 2024.