3331 replies to this topic

[jonny]

^^ Commercial property owners pay triple the tax rate than do residences so the city does benefit from commerce.

They just don’t spend it wisely.

Absolutely.

The "population of 85k policing a metro area of 400k" nonsense doesn't hold water when you think about the huge commercial property tax base the CoV literally sits on top of.

[A Girl is No one]

Sirens non stop all evening... trying to look busy?

[Victoria Watcher]

saanich gets the job done with $33M.  victoria uses $54M.

[Greg]

Absolutely.

The "population of 85k policing a metro area of 400k" nonsense doesn't hold water when you think about the huge commercial property tax base the CoV literally sits on top of.

 

Quite the contrary. Victoria has to police the entertainment district for Greater Victoria, and it should have the funds to do so, based on the commercial property tax base. The broken link is the willingness of CoV council to do so. The commercial tax base doesn't refute the need to have extra police coverage, it confirms the ability to pay for it. 

[Cassidy]

The whole "policing the entertainment district" is ridiculously overstated.

Having worked in that area of endeavour right here in Victoria for the past 40 years, my own eyes tell me that the entertainment district is (on most nights) no different than walking around Uptown, downtown Sidney, or the main drag in Langford.

 

There's an occasional issue (as there is everywhere), but generally speaking, references to the COV "entertainment district" as being some sort of wild west show are a compete and total red herring.

Edited by Cassidy, 16 February 2019 - 06:53 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

i think that's correct too for almost all hours.  i've never seen the police in garricks head or irish times or darcy's or the local. the very few remaining nightclubs we have might be a bit more right at closing.  what do we have 3?  district upstairs and the country saloon.  we certainly have 4 or 5 less than we had 10 years ago.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 16 February 2019 - 07:03 AM.

[Jason-L]

Rather amused to see a regular tweeting now of crime stats from VicPD, now.

[jonny]

Rather amused to see a regular tweeting now of crime stats from VicPD, now.

 

They're short staffed, you see, but have more than enough time to operate social media channels. 

[Nparker]

They're short staffed, you see, but have more than enough time to operate social media channels. 

I imagine administrative staff maintain social media and so there is little-to-no relation to staffing levels among law enforcement officers.

[Jason-L]

They're short staffed, you see, but have more than enough time to operate social media channels. 

I don't have a problem with that - it'd be like complaining that they have people available to answer the phones.

More just amused how we used to get info, via the maps and all, but that disappeared when Tent City popped up and it was like pulling teeth to find out what was going on... but boom, cut the budget and suddenly we get to find out about all the crime that previously apparently wasn't a problem before ... with a particular emphasis it seems now on the violent crime that should help to generate some fear in the populace and reinforce the idea that Victoria is turning into a roiling cesspit of violent offenders.

 

Just amused by the timing of this sudden transparency.

[Victoria Watcher]

it's glaring overkill now.

 

 

 

 

 

[Nparker]

...Just amused by the timing of this sudden transparency.

And like the deafening silence regarding crime incidents during the tent city mess and the Elsner debacle I would imagine this sudden transparency is coming directly from the top (and I don't mean the Chief of Police).

[jonny]

I imagine administrative staff maintain social media and so there is little-to-no relation to staffing levels among law enforcement officers.

 

Administrative vs officer salary money all comes from the same Vic PD budget. If you're doing one thing, it means you're not doing something else. 

[sdwright.vic]

The police department has a civilian administrative staff.

[Victoria Watcher]

The police department has a civilian administrative staff.

 

all police salaries - officers and civilians - are paid from the police budget.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 21 February 2019 - 11:59 AM.

[Nparker]

all police salaries - officers and civilians - are paid from the police budget.

While that is true, I do not believe anyone has claimed there is a shortage of civilian staff or to the best of my knowledge has requested additional civilian staff, so this cost has remained constant. If the VicPD chooses to reduce civilian staff or reallocate funds from this area to cover alleged budget shortfalls for officers, then that is a different matter. 

[Cassidy]

While that is true, I do not believe anyone has claimed there is a shortage of civilian staff or to the best of my knowledge has requested additional civilian staff, so this cost has remained constant. If the VicPD chooses to reduce civilian staff or reallocate funds from this area to cover alleged budget shortfalls for officers, then that is a different matter. 

I think you'd find that the "civilian staff" probably do 75% of the actual work of the VicPD.

 

If it's like most relatively expensive public bureaucracies (Fire, Police, Ambulance, Military), when you take the civilian staff out of the picture, the entire operation stops functioning ... or worse, it falls completely apart.

[sdwright.vic]

Administrative vs officer salary money all comes from the same Vic PD budget. If you're doing one thing, it means you're not doing something else.

^I am more then aware that the police budget pays both administrative and officer salaries.

The qouted post above made it sound as if officers are doing administrative stuff.

One of the first things that was promised to be cut was civilian staff. Which means officers will have to start doing that work, instead of policing.

[Victoria Watcher]

One of the first things that was promised to be cut was civilian staff. Which means officers will have to start doing that work, instead of policing.

 

the immediate reaction by the chief was that the public would be "less safe".  less safe because of a cut of civilian staff?

[sdwright.vic]

No because of officers not being out on patrols because now they have to do all the departments administrative duties.