3573 replies to this topic

[lanforod]

Catholic Priest?
Nun?

[Mike K.]

A monk would not appreciate being called a nun.

Catholic Priests are male, because of the lineage to Jesus, according to the religion.

[pontcanna]

Fractures in policing are hurting the region: Victoria chief

Victoria police chief expresses disappointment with West Shore RCMP's decision to pull out of regional policing units.

New fractures in regional policing are taking the capital region backwards at the expense of overall community safety and consistency in service, Victoria Police Chief Del Manak said Saturday.

West Shore RCMP have announced they will pull out of three regional policing units dealing with intimate partner domestic violence, at‑risk young people and a mobile crisis response team focused on mental health. They will leave the regional youth and mental health teams at the end of 2025 and the domestic violence team at the end of 2026. The moves will improve policing for the West Shore, the RCMP say.

“It’s disappointing to see that people are doubling down and creating their own areas of expertise at the expense of having a regional approach when we know we live in a region not just within one municipality,” Manak said.

Manak said a regional approach delivers better continuity of service and better ability to build trust and relationships.” You have less risk in a potential police incident or police investigation of falling through the cracks.”

A regional approach is needed because people move around a lot more, especially when it comes to intimate partner violence, he said. People will move from relationship to relationship but what doesn’t change is their pattern of behaviour or violence.

The regional domestic violence team was established in 2010 following the 2007 murder of six-year-old Christian Lee at the hands of his father Peter Lee, who also killed his wife Sunny Park and her parents in Oak Bay and then took his own life.

In the weeks before the murders, Sunny Park complained about domestic violence to three municipal police departments.

West Shore RCMP’s decision was made without consulting regional police departments, Manak said. Central Saanich is also opting out of regional teams in 2025.

Costs will rise for remaining members when partners leave regional teams, he said.

Victoria Women’s Transition House Society said it is “regretful” West Shore RCMP will be leaving the regional domestic violence unit, which works well.

West Shore RCMP contribute $74,345 per year to the mobile crisis response team, it pays $37,349 for the youth services team, and $121,827, plus $115,350 (the salary of one constable), to be part of the domestic violence unit.

As of July, it had responded to 513 out of 944 mental health calls for service. In comparison the regional unit responded to only 35 calls for service in the West Shore between January 2023 and July 2024, he said.

The regional mobile youth unit responded to only 15 calls for service in the West Shore between January 2023 and July 2024, Preston said

The West Shore RCMP has its own youth outreach officer who teams up with a Pacific Centre Family Services Association counsellor. The team is backed by the community policing unit, which works in schools.

West Shore RCMP created an intimate partner violence investigator position in the spring and will expand to two full-time officers in spring 2026, Preston said.

The new intimate-partner violence unit will be supported by the existing special victims unit, made up of four officer as well as an investigative support team anticipated to be operating in November with five officers, he said.

In Saanich, “we are currently assessing what the West Shore RCMP’s decision will mean for our department..."

Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins said as the cost of policing continues to rise, agencies are looking at value for dollar. Some municipalities used the regional teams a lot while other haven’t done so, she said.

 

More: https://www.timescol...a-chief-9788001
 

[Victoria Watcher]

Why does the intimate partner domestic violence team need to be multi-jurisdictional?



A regional approach is needed because people move around a lot more, especially when it comes to intimate partner violence, he said. People will move from relationship to relationship but what doesn’t change is their pattern of behaviour or violence.




Ok so some guy moves on to abuse another woman. Isn’t he charged and faces trial for the first one? Or do we just tail the guy around and never lay charges? That doesn’t seem like adequate policing.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 10 November 2024 - 05:05 AM.

[Mike K.]

As of July, it had responded to 513 out of 944 mental health calls for service. In comparison the regional unit responded to only 35 calls for service in the West Shore between January 2023 and July 2024, he said.

The regional mobile youth unit responded to only 15 calls for service in the West Shore between January 2023 and July 2024, Preston said

I think that explains why they are pulling out.

Preston is Todd Preston, Chief of West Shore RCMP, presumably.

[Barrister]

They got tired of paying for dealing with all the crap in Victoria. 

[Mike K.]

West Shore RCMP on why they’re pulling out of regional units:

You may have heard recently, that we are planning to exit 3 regional policing units namely, the Integrated Mobile Crisis Response Team (IMCRT), Mobile Youth Service Team (MYST), and Regional Domestic Violence Unit (RDVU). The decision to exit these Regional Unit’s did not come lightly. West Shore RCMP strives to provide the best possible service to our communities and we are constantly looking at ways to innovate and improve our current service delivery models.

Though exiting a regional unit may seem like service delivery will be impacted negatively, our goal is to enhance service delivery by utilizing existing and new West Shore RCMP units.

It is important to understand that West Shore RCMP’s rationale to exit these regional units is largely based upon the fact that we have created our own specialized units that enhance service delivery in these areas. Essentially, remaining a part of these regional units is creating a duplication of service and is not cost effective.

After careful analysis and consideration, we made the decision to respectfully exit the 3 regional policing units and opt for enhanced service delivery through existing West Shore RCMP units.

Integrated Mobile Crisis Response Team (IMCRT) > Projected exit date: December 31, 2025

West Shore RCMP launched its own Mental Health Unit (MHU) in February 2024, creating a duplication of service. Our MHU consists of Frontline Officers who are paired with Registered Nurses from Island Health who are experienced in mental health and substance use care. As of July 30, 2024, the team has already responded to 513 out of 944 mental health related calls for service in the West Shore. Comparatively, IMCRT responded to 35 calls for service in the West Shore from January, 2023 to July, 2024.
Mobile Youth Service Team (MYST) > Projected exit date: December 31, 2025

West Shore RCMP recognizes that specialized services with a focus on at-risk youth is a priority, therefore we created the position of Youth Outreach Officer in 2021. The Youth Outreach Officer’s mandate is to focus on at-risk youth via a partnership with a counselor from Pacific Centre Family Services Association (PCFSA). Together, they work as a team addressing at-risk youth by being both proactive and referral based. They focus on mentoring and prevention strategies. This team offers more concentrated efforts on the West Shore.
West Shore RCMP will remain in contact with MYST to ensure that at-risk youth who may travel in-between jurisdictions are provided with consistent support. It is important to note, that the MYST youth counselor is also attached to PCFSA, allowing this transition and information sharing to remain seamless.
Regional Domestic Violence Unit (RDVU) > Projected exit date: Dec 31, 2026

West Shore RCMP created its own Intimate Partner Violence investigator position in Spring, 2024 and will expand that to 2 full time police officers in Spring, 2026. These officers will work closely with community and criminal justice partners to fulfill the same mandate RDVU does, but will of course be focused on clients exclusively on the West Shore.
The West Shore IPV Unit will also be supported by the existing Special Victim’s Unit (SVU) which is comprised of 4 police officers along with the Investigative Support Team (IST will be comprised of 5 police officers, expected to be operational in November 2024).
Though we are exiting the above-mentioned regional units, we remain committed and a part of Crime Stoppers and the Greater Victoria Diversity Advisory Committee. A rapidly growing population in West Shore has created the need for enhanced policing services for the residents of the West Shore communities. Staying on top of current policing trends and community needs is a top priority for our detachment.

[pontcanna]

Public inquest to begin for police-involved shooting death at Nanaimo ferry terminal

Nov 12, 2024

 

NANAIMO — Details are scheduled to be released publicly this week for the first regarding a fatal police-involved shooting at Nanaimo’s Departure Bay ferry terminal.

The May 18, 2018 death of Jer Wood, formally known as 39-year-old Jerry Robert Smallwood, is the focus of a coroner’s inquest to take place this week at Nanaimo Law Courts.

Smallwood was shot 8 times after his vehicle was leaving the terminal upon disembarking from the ferry where a confrontation took place.

He was boxed in by officers and police said Smallwood got out of his truck and he raised a gun.

A jury will hear evidence from multiple witnesses.

Coroner’s inquests aren’t responsible for determining criminal liability.

Wood was pronounced dead at Nanaimo hospital about a half hour after the incident.

A follow-up probe by the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. cleared Nanaimo RCMP officers of any wrongdoing and said Wood was attempting to fatally injure himself when officers fired.

The IIO later found Wood had claimed to have “wasted somebody” prior to the incident and was focused on avoiding jail, even if it meant being killed by police.

He was linked to several violent incidents in the Okanagan, including a shooting in Vernon.

 

More: https://nanaimonewsn...ferry-terminal/

[Mike K.]

West Shore Officer in Charge Todd Preston has issued a formal response to Chief Manak’s comments.

Note the last paragraph.

🔹West Shore RCMP responds to VicPD Chief Del Manak’s comments over West Shore’s pull-out of regional policing units🔹

From Superintendent Todd Preston, Officer in Charge of West Shore RCMP:

In response to an article in the Times Colonist on November 10, 2024 where Chief Del Manak expressed disappointment in our departure from Regional Units, I would like to add the following perspective:

The West Shore RCMP is a Regional Police Service which offers policing to 7 communities on the West Shore including: Langford, Colwood, View Royal, Metchosin, Highlands, Esquimalt First Nation and Songhees First Nation. We have repeatedly highlighted the benefits and efficiencies of integrated police service delivery while meeting the needs of the various Chiefs, Mayors and Councils.

Victoria’s demographic, governance and policing requirements are very different than that of the West Shore. Many of the Regional Units have long focussed on complex issues associated to the downtown core of Victoria which has left gaps in the outlying municipalities. Citizens on the West Shore deserve to have access to critical resources when required. Currently within these models, a disproportionate amount of time is being spent outside the West Shore and neighbouring communities despite the significant contributions being paid into these teams.

Community priorities vary significantly, and it is important to be able to pivot, adapt and shift when the disparity begins to impact service to the public. This is the very role of the Police Chief. It is my job to weigh the capacity of integrated units against their ability to serve the West Shore.

A recent example of this is the Integrated Mobile Crisis Response Team (IMCRT), which is comprised of a multidisciplinary team who addressed only 35 calls on the West Shore throughout 2023. With the support of our Municipalities and the Province, we created our own team, and our Mental Health Crisis Response Team has attended 513 calls on the West Shore in the first 6 months of 2024. This is a marked improvement in service to our community – especially for those citizens that find themselves in a crisis.

Another example is the Mobile Youth Services Team (MYST) which is comprised of one police officer and one social worker for the entire Capital Regional District (CRD). With this model we again found ourselves unable to meet the demands of our growing communities and could not provide adequate service to the youth on the West Shore. In 2021, with the support of the West Shore Mayor and Councils, we created our own Youth Outreach Team comprised of one officer and one dedicated youth counsellor from Pacific Centre Family Services. This Youth Outreach Team provides the West Shore with a service that mirrors the integrated MYST model for the CRD, but specifically serves the 7 communities that comprise the West Shore Detachment. Our Youth Outreach Team has allowed MYST to focus their efforts on other areas of the CRD as West Shore RCMP is able to address local concerns.

We acknowledge the important work being done by the Regional Domestic Violence Unit (RDVU). Since RDVU’s inception we have improved training, oversight and the sharing of information under the guidance of Provincial Policing Standards by improving the quality of investigations and outcomes for all partners in the Criminal Justice System. The continued work toward the creation of an Intimate Partner Violence Team at the West Shore Detachment over the next 2 years will provide dedicated police and civilian resources to investigate and monitor the most serious reports of domestic violence. Where required, our unit will certainly monitor, liaise and share intelligence with partner agencies.

Each police agency and the communities they serve have different priorities which occasionally requires service delivery to be modified. Teams and regional integration of units must benefit all parties and are best suited for communities that are aligned with similar demographics and priorities.

Just as it is inappropriate for me to comment on the deployment of police resources by any other municipality or their police service, I would suggest that determining the needs of the West Shore communities is best left to the Chiefs, Mayors, Councils and Chief of Police in our jurisdiction.

Superintendent Todd Preston
Officer in Charge

[pontcanna]

Inquest probes man’s shooting death at ferry terminal

• Times Colonist
• 13 Nov 2024

A week-long inquest began Tuesday into the 2018 death of a man who shot himself in the head at the Departure Bay ferry terminal just as police aimed several shots at his chest.

 

Jer Wood died on his 39th birthday, May 8, 2018, said his mother, Sharon Smallwood, who was the first to testify at the inquest at the Nanaimo courthouse.

 

At the time of his death, Wood was being sought in connection with a carjacking in Penticton and a shooting in the Vernon area.

 

His mother said Jer Wood was born Jerry Robert Smallwood, a name he was proud of, but unbeknownst to his loved ones, he changed it.

 

They didn’t find out about the name change until his body was released to the funeral home, she said.

 

She said she believes the change was to shield his loved ones from his drug addiction, which he developed after he was taken off painkillers following a work-related back injury at a camp where he was employed as a cook, about two and a half years before his death.

 

“He stayed away so that we wouldn’t know and we thought: ‘OK, he’s getting on with things,’ ” Smallwood said. “But he was hiding what was happening because he didn’t want us to know, because I’m sure he thought we would be disappointed in him.”

 

“If we had known what the symptoms were we would have done anything in our power to help him,” Smallwood said. “In hindsight, we saw some of the symptoms but didn’t pick up on them at the time.”

 

Those included a change in his personality, which was accompanied by frustration and depression from the pain, she said. She said he was also stressed from trying to reach a settlement with WorkSafeBC.

 

“I guess he knew his life was ending — he couldn’t get off the drugs and he went after the drug dealers with a gun,” Smallwood said.

 

His girlfriend, Danielle Frost, testified that Wood stayed the night with her on May 6, 2018 and said he was going to deal with a person “who was doing something that they couldn’t get away with doing.”

 

He said that he was not going to go to jail afterward “and that the police would have to shoot him,” she said.

 

He left the next day without saying goodbye, then called later to say he had shot somebody, Frost said.

 

She said she was shocked and didn’t contact police.

 

She did not know he had a handgun that he would eventually use to take his own life.

 

She also saw what she thought was a bulletproof vest.

 

Staff Sgt. Scott Hanry, who helped to investigate the case, testified that Frost told him that Wood had developed an addiction to heroin because of his pain and was “tired of the struggle.” 

 

Smallwood said her son is deeply missed. “He is remembered by his friends as an amazing man, a charming, magnetic and caring person.”

 

More: https://digitaltimes...281556591354841

 

[Victoria Watcher]

This was a strange case.  We were never given the man's name at the time of his death, or even after IIO had completed their investigation 5 months later.  And I'm not sure if we know if he shot someone as the girlfriend has now testified.

 

 

 

 

2018:

 

 

 

British Columbia’s police watchdog has found that the RCMP officers did not commit any offence after a man was shot and died after he drove off a vessel at the Departure Bay ferry terminal in Nanaimo back in May.

 

 

 

https://cheknews.ca/...og-says-501117/

 

 

After shots were fired, paramedics who were staged in the area were directed to travel to the scene with lights and sirens on. A paramedic saw the suspect lying on his back in a pool of blood with his hands cuffed behind his back. Officers were applying pressure to injuries.

 

According to the report, the suspect had a very serious head injury, three gunshot wounds to the abdomen, a gunshot wound to his collarbone and one to the left bicep. The paramedic was told by an officer that the head wound was self-inflicted, while the other wounds were inflicted by police.

________________________

 

The name of the suspect has never been released by RCMP.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ZYTARUK: Keeping homicide victims’ names from public a disturbing trend

 

Not revealing the identities of homicide victims is bad public policy, and here’s why

 

 

https://www.cranbroo...g-trend-5328070

 

 

 

Police on May 8th reportedly shot and killed someone at the Departure Bay ferry terminal in Nanaimo while responding, according to the Independent Investigations Office of B.C., to reports of a “potential” carjacking. The RCMP decided not to release the victim’s name, and the Surrey-based IIO — which is tasked with keeping B.C. police officers accountable in cases involving in-custody deaths and serious injuries — has followed suit, citing privacy issues. Why a dead man killed by authorities in such a public way might require privacy is, I suppose, anyone’s guess.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 13 November 2024 - 03:55 AM.

[pontcanna]

Success In Summer Bike And Beat Pilot

Date: Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Victoria, B.C. – The Bike and Beat Deployment pilot project in Patrol Division has been deemed a successful demonstration of integrating these functions into regular Patrol work and will repeat in 2025.

In the Spring and Summer of 2024, Patrol Division made a concerted effort to dedicate resources to bike and beat patrols in Esquimalt and the downtown core in Victoria when call volume permitted and capacity existed.

We recognize that this visibility is important to residents, but this capacity is contingent upon balancing response obligations, as high call volumes and other competing priorities can limit Patrol officers’ abilities to engage in proactive measures like this.

This pilot was used to determine the effectiveness of a Patrol officers’ ability to deploy on a mountain bike while still maintaining their primary mandate of responding to calls for service. A small group of Patrol officers were provided training and minimal equipment in an effort to determine what capacity Patrol officers had over the summer months, which is historically our highest call volume, to deploy on mountain bikes.

A total of two officers on two different Patrol shifts were provided with the training and equipment.

The objectives of this small group were to:

1) Respond to calls for service;

2) Provide a visible presence; and

3) Conduct proactive criminal enforcement.

 

Officers with the Bike and Beat Deployment Pilot Project

Responding to Calls for Service

Officers were able to deploy on bikes throughout the summer months. All the officers involved in the pilot, as well as their supervisors, commented on the ability of these officers to rapidly respond to calls. Officers found their response times to calls to be very fast, often times faster than cars.

“I think the best thing we’ve been able to do is to respond to calls with a much quicker routine response. My partner and I located two different high-risk missing elderly people and were able to be the ones who made the first police contact with them. On one occasion, my partner and I were able to go from Mary Street / Esquimalt Road to Fisherman’s Wharf before a Patrol member could get there in a vehicle, and we were able to locate a missing elderly person.

On more than one occasion, we responded to other members who called for help, specifically a police request for Code 3 cover, and a separate Bylaw request for the same. In both cases, we had a quicker or similar response time to help the members needing assistance as those who were driving cars.”

Increased Visibility

The officers felt a greater community connection and were constantly being approached by people to engage in casual conversation and ask questions. The high visibility of the officers provided countless positive interactions with community members and business owners. On one occasion officers were waved down by a business owner who was getting a large amount of theft from his store. Officers set up covert operations on the store and effected an arrest on-scene. This staff member mentioned she wouldn’t have called police unless she saw them ride by on the bikes. This was a great example of the impact the bike patrol team can have on small business owners.

Proactive Criminal Enforcement

The officers found their ability to be proactive on the bike very beneficial. They would often surprise the criminal element with their presence.

“It’s tough to quantify a lot of what we did since I can’t measure disruption and deterrence. We were given the task of being proactive and we tried to focus our efforts downtown where we could be a benefit to local businesses. Regardless of the time of day, we focused on downtown hot spots where bylaw offences or street disorder has the greatest impact on the community.

“To my surprise, the reception from the subjects of our checks was positive. There is something about rolling up on a bike versus rolling up in a police car that makes you more approachable, and I found that I’ve never been able to build a stronger proactive connection with the unhoused population that I have when on a bike. Some of the locals in the 900-block of Pandora started recognizing us riding through as the ‘Tour-de-Block,’ so if nothing else, they came to recognize that we were there, and we were involved.

“Even in responding to different incidents, it’s hard to say what we prevented. We attended a few different ad-hoc protests; one notable one was the gathering outside of City Hall that led to the ‘Stop the Sweeps’ meeting in City Hall. My partner and I spent the days leading up to that in Irving Park chatting with the residents. From there, we used that rapport to connect with the organizers of the event, many of whom were residents in the park, and continued to build on those relationships thereafter. It actually made it a lot easier to work Bylaw shifts since the rapport built when we were on bikes easily translated to credibility when trying to assist Bylaw with their enforcement.”

Evaluation

These efforts by Patrol officers on the bikes, in addition to regular beat patrols, were considered to be quite successful and showed the Patrol Division does have some capacity to provide beat and bike patrols. This capacity can be quite limited at times due to the heavy call volume experienced by Patrol officers, particularly during the summer months. The redeployment of Patrol resources during the Department’s recent restructuring, moving more resources to peak call volume times during the afternoon, also provided supervisors the ability to capitalize on the extra capacity by deploying bike/beat patrols.

Moving Forward

Plans are currently underway for a more robust and focused bike and beat deployment in both Esquimalt and Victoria by Patrol in 2025, as well as an additional robust Community Policing plan for participation from the entire Patrol Division. We are currently considering investments in technologies such as E-bikes, which will further increase a patrol bike officers’ effectiveness and timeliness in call response, as well V-Mobile, which will provide officers on Bike or Beat deployments to utilize CAD on their mobile devices. Additional officers across all four shifts will be given training with the goal of two bike officers being deployed daily in a Patrol capacity in the spring/summer of 2025.

[pontcanna]

Fears voiced for future of regional policing if agencies opt out

• Times Colonist
• 15 Nov 2024
• 
•  

Police agencies planning to withdraw from regional units could start a domino effect leading to the end of valuable policing resources in Greater Victoria, says the chair of the Capital Region Action Team for Sexually Exploited Youth.

 

Last week, West Shore RCMP announced they will be quitting regional policing units concentrating on mental health and youth at risk by the end of next year, and will leave the intimate partner violence unit at the end of 2026. 

 

Central Saanich is leaving the three teams in 2025.

 

McElroy said when police agencies leave regional teams, pulling their funding, that puts more of a financial burden on the remaining members, threatening the teams’ future.

 

The regional mobile youth services team — MYST — does essential work, said McElroy. “Based on my experience, integrated units are the way to go.”

 

A young person, for example, may live in one municipality, get lured into the sex trade by someone in another jurisdiction, get drugs in a third area and have a pimp in yet another municipality, he said.

 

The regional domestic violence unit was established after six-year-old Christian Lee was killed by his father, Peter Lee, who also killed his wife, Sunny Park, and her parents before killing himself at their Oak Bay home in 2007.

 

A review found that Park had turned to three local police departments with her fears of violence at home.

 

Oak Bay Mayor Kevin Murdoch believes that services are delivered efficiently and effectively when RCMP and municipal forces work together.

 

Murdoch said there’s been a significant push to expand the two-person regional mobile youth services team, which focuses on getting the most at risk youth out of addiction and homelessness and on finding the supports they need, all resulting in cost-savings in the long run.

 

John Ducker, a former deputy chief of Victoria police, said the public expects broad-level thinking and co-operation throughout the region. “The problem is that none of these units that are set up seem to be able to withstand the pressures of artificial political boundaries in our area,”.

 

When agencies leave regional teams, it creates cracks in the system that could lead to “another inquiry down the line to figure out what went wrong when someone goes missing or some crime is undetected,” Ducker said. “The cycle keeps on repeating because we can’t seem to punch through these artificial political boundaries.”

 

Victoria and Saanich partnered on an integrated canine services section a few years ago that is “working very well,” said Saanich Police Chief Duthie. Saanich is also part of a reestablished internet child exploitation unit, which ran as a pilot program starting in 2021.

 

He said area chiefs and RCMP commanders in the region meet monthly to discuss issues and find solutions to problems, something he expects to continue.

 

Colwood Coun. Ian Ward said “This focus on keeping our dollars on the West Shore is something many of us increasingly see as the path forward for our community,”

 

“While Victoria and Saanich (and attached Oak Bay and Esquimalt) surely benefit from a regional approach, the West Shore is increasingly becoming a region of our own, independent of the ‘core’.”

 

More: https://digitaltimes...281556591359539

 

[pontcanna]

Instagram:

 

 

The 39th Annual Saanich Police Mess Dinner was held last night. An evening for members to come together, share some laughs, and enjoy the camaraderie of the people we are fortunate to work with. Vancouver Police Chief Adam Palmer was our distinguished Guest of Honour and it truly was an honour to meet him in person! @chiefpalmervpd

[pontcanna]

Jury in Departure Bay shooting inquest calls for more ERT officers

Jer Wood died on May 8, 2018, after his car was surrounded by police vehicles at the Nanaimo terminal after he drove off the ferry


An aerial view of the final positions of Jer Wood’s car (marked AP) and four police vehicles at Departure Bay ferry terminal in Nanaimo after Wood’s fatal shooting. The numbers represent the seven police officers who were involved in the arrest attempt on May 8, 2018. 

The jury at a coroners inquest into the 2018 death of a man at the Departure Bay ferry terminal says more officers trained in emergency response should be available at incidents involving armed suspects.

Jer Wood died on May 8, 2018, after his car was surrounded by police vehicles at the Nanaimo terminal after he drove off the ferry. Wood, a suspect in a violent ­Penticton carjacking and non-fatal shooting in the Vernon area, shot himself at the same time as two officers shot at him.

The jury noted that the ERT team on site had to be supplemented by plainclothes officers untrained in emergency-response tactics because not enough ERT members were available to respond.

The jury is recommending expediting setting up regional full-time ERT teams, including on Vancouver Island, and to supplement the teams with ERT-trained part-time members.

It also recommended having advanced-care paramedics deployed instead of primary-care paramedics in cases where there is a possibility a suspect is armed.

The jury found that Wood, who had changed his name from Jerry Robert Smallwood, died by suicide.

He raised his pistol as he sat in a vehicle at the terminal and shot himself in the head, just as a pair of officers fired several times at his chest when they saw him raise the gun.

 

More: https://www.timescol...fficers-9834294

[Victoria Watcher]

Jobs will be lost and community safety could be compromised if Victoria council insists the Victoria and Esquimalt Police Board cut more than $2 million from its 2025 budget.

 

That was the message delivered Thursday to council by Elizabeth Cull, the board’s finance committee chair, as she presented the police budget to council.

 

“We don’t put things in our budget that we don’t think are essential and we certainly don’t put things in our budget so that it’s easy to take them out later in case we get pushed too hard,” Cull said. “We’ve pared this down to what we think is absolutely necessary and nothing more.”

 

Cull said a $2-million budget cut could not be accomplished without laying off staff and police officers, or “without being able to meet the demands that in the last half hour I’ve heard you talk so passionately about.”

 

Those include more police visibility downtown, increased bike and foot patrols, more community outreach and making traffic enforcement a priority.

 

 

 

https://www.timescol...il-told-9847780

[Victoria Watcher]

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.

 

https://cheknews.ca/...se-ask-1225560/

[Matt R.]

Give the police what they need, find savings elsewhere.

When do I start, won’t even need 80 hours a week to do it.

[Barrister]

Lets start by getting rid of the mayor assistant. Then all the social projects along with a few useless departments. Throw in all the travel budget for councilors, any car allowances of any type and rent out their parking stalls or eleiminate their parking passes.  

[pontcanna]