Transition to Municipal Police Force

[daftandbarmy]

Oak or James Bay, is that you?

There are 13 of us, of course

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Surrey wanted it...



The decision to move to a municipal force to replace the RCMP in B.C.’s second-most-populous city was made in 2018 under then-mayor Doug McCallum and approved by the province.

A 2019 transition plan said Surrey was the largest city in Canada without its own municipal force. It said a city force would bring oversight to the local level instead of Ottawa and be more responsive to changing conditions and demands, and more representative of the community.

Surrey Police Service takes over command from RCMP

SPS is now the force of jurisdiction, but gradual replacement of RCMP officers will take two or three more years. Find out more.

vancouversun.com

But then they elected a mayor to replace him, who promised to stop it as a major ticket in her campaign. Whereupon the Province forced her to accept it.

 

[daftandbarmy]

But then they elected a mayor to replace him, who promised to stop it as a major ticket in her campaign. Whereupon the Province forced her to accept it.

Yes, this describes it nicely I think

 

[RangerRay]

From what I heard when VicPD amalgamated with Esquimalt PD, Esquimalt found that all of their former units ended up going downtown. Oak Bay, Saanich and Central Saanich put the brakes on amalgamation after that. Oak Bay likes having its own force to keep the riff-raff from downtown out.

As for Surrey, it was a vanity project of Doug McCallum, and he kept the costs under wraps. He was elected by a small minority of eligible voters and decided to muck about. Then another mayor was elected by a small minority of eligible voters to reverse it, after people were hired, equipment was bought and other infrastructure was bought. In short, it was a disaster and no other municipality in BC will frig around with their police services.

 

[lenaitch]

Oak Bay likes having its own force to keep the riff-raff from downtown out

Those in uniform or those not?

 

[Good2Golf]

Those in uniform or those not?

I think he’s referring to the downtown Kumbayah shitshow that is Victoria proper, and that despite the whining protestation of some Vic city councillors on CHEK6 TV newscasts about why other munis should ‘step up’ and accept the Tiny City Shitshow that Vic set up after the Beacon Hill Park tent and toilet camp was torn down, the other *munis want to have *none of the phucquery that Victoria has brought upon itself, but wants others to solve its problem.

 

[daftandbarmy]

I think he’s referring to the downtown Kumbayah shitshow that is Victoria proper, and that despite the whining protestation of some Vic city councillors on CHEK6 TV newscasts about why other munis should ‘step up’ and accept the Tiny City Shitshow that Vic set up after the Beacon Hill Park tent and toilet camp was torn down, the other minis want to have move of the phucquery that Victoria has brought upon itself, but wants others to solve its problem.

And now that it's time to pay the piper, and taxes are likely to increase exponentially driving yet more (revenue generating) businesses out of the fast declining downtown core while government workers are still largely working from home (with their lunch money), city council is 'struggling' ...

Victoria Police unbending in near $7 million budget increase ask​

The capital city is looking at the largest property tax increase in more than 10 years.

The first draft of next year’s budget is a 12.17 per cent increase, and includes a $365.6 million operating budget and $94.6 million capital budget.

If it’s adopted next spring, the typical residential property could face a $376 property tax increase and a typical business could see a $1,000 increase.

“The clear message that’s come back to us in all the engagement we’ve done is that double digits is too high, obviously, and we need you to look at cutting programs rather than continuing to look at that high of a property tax increase,” said Alto.

Council has asked all departments to go back to the drawing board, and chop. That includes the police department which is requesting a 9.71 per cent budget increase, the equivalent of a nearly $7 million increase.

“We have a request for seven additional staff, four police and three civilian positions,” said Victoria Police Chief Del Manak. “We need to be adding more strength and having greater capacity to provide a better service, not be reducing service at this time.”

After being asked by city council to cut their budget wish list by $2 million, the answer was no.

“Our police board, through the support of our leadership team went back to council and let them know that reducing the budget by that amount was a nonstarter,” said Manak.

Victoria Police unbending in near $7 million budget increase ask

Victoria Police Chief says cutting its 2025 budget wish list by $2 million is a "non-starter" that would put public safety in jeopardy.

cheknews.ca

 

[RangerRay]

I think he’s referring to the downtown Kumbayah shitshow that is Victoria proper, and that despite the whining protestation of some Vic city councillors on CHEK6 TV newscasts about why other munis should ‘step up’ and accept the Tiny City Shitshow that Vic set up after the Beacon Hill Park tent and toilet camp was torn down, the other *munis want to have *none of the phucquery that Victoria has brought upon itself, but wants others to solve its problem.

Ding ding ding! Although in fairness, Victoria’s street life has always been…lively. I remember dodging and weaving around them in the early 90’s, and seeing “McBouncers” working the McDonald’s on Douglas. And Oak Bay PD’s primary job has been to keep said street life far from the fine denizens of Oak Bay.