3305 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

Chief Manak has responded:

As indicated by the Township of Esquimalt today, Esquimalt Council has voted down the part of the VicPD 2022 budget that requested 10 additional positions (six officer positions and four civilian employees). VicPD’s budget requires approval by both councils, with Victoria Council having recently approved the budget.

This budget was recommended and approved by the Victoria and Esquimalt Police Board as the minimum budget required to provide adequate and effective policing for the City of Victoria and the Township of Esquimalt. The 10 additional positions for 2022 were not a supplemental request. Instead, they were deemed by our board to be an essential component of the overall core budget request for VicPD.

From an operational perspective, I am disappointed that VicPD’s budget was not approved in its entirety. Our police board, over an exhaustive budget process spanning several months, arrived at this budget based on the best available information relating to resource demands, operational requirements, and public safety trends. Personnel shortages and the demands on our people are only mounting, and this pressure is affecting our ability to provide the community policing that our citizens expect.

I look forward to discussing potential next steps with the Victoria and Esquimalt Police Board.

[Victoria Watcher]

The system seems silly. A higher power (the province) should just impose the funding structure and numbers. As this seems to happen continually.

I don’t have much of a problem with the police justifying their budget each time, but this problem with the two municipalities needs some fixing.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 22 March 2022 - 03:02 PM.

[Mike K.]

Why not expand the VicPD to cover Oak Bay instead, if the province is to get involved at all?

[Victoria Watcher]

The province doesn’t generally like to get involved in forcing things on the municipalities.

The Esquimalt situation was sort of forced by a WorkSafe decision. The oak bay force just exists due to a historic “it’s always been that way” situation.

[Nparker]

The province doesn’t generally like to get involved in forcing things on the municipalities...

Unless those things are homeless shelters.

[Victoria Watcher]

Victoria took those willingly!

[Nparker]

Victoria took those willingly!

Victoria council took them willingly. 

[Kilo95]

Maybe Esquimalt should switch to the RCMP if their agreement with VicPD is up for renewal in the near future.

[Victoria Watcher]

They tried that circa 2011 but the province said no.

> https://www.timescol...icpd-45-4557892

[Kilo95]

They tried that circa 2011 but the province said no.

> https://www.timescol...icpd-45-4557892

 

There were issues with the RCMPs proposal that the government raised. Perhaps in v2.0 they can address the original concerns. Also funny how the RCMP spokesperson quoted in that TC article is Ray Bernoties. 

[Barrrister]

The basic problem with amalgamation is that nobody wants to deal with the crazies running Victoria. 

[Nparker]

Victoria = the red-headed stepchild of the CRD.

[Mike K.]

Also funny how the RCMP spokesperson quoted in that TC article is Ray Bernoties.

What the!?

[Victoria Watcher]

There were issues with the RCMPs proposal that the government raised. Perhaps in v2.0 they can address the original concerns. Also funny how the RCMP spokesperson quoted in that TC article is Ray Bernoties. 

 

IIRC a lot of the data or information that supported the RCMP for Esquimalt was created by a group of former RCMP members.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 22 March 2022 - 04:26 PM.

[pontcanna]

My thought about West Shore Mounties expanding their turf to Esquimalt was - some serious s**t goes down around rush hour, good luck getting the troops out from Langford - compared to VicPD who can basically bring an army across the bridge at short notice.

[Mike K.]

They’d likely have their own RCMP detachment in Esquimalt, just like Sooke does, and North Saanich does.

[G-Man]

I think it is time that either BC moved to having a provincial force again for community policing or communities pony up for a small force or amalgamation with other local forces. Having community policing done by federal police seems problematic on a lot of levels.

[Victoria Watcher]

I think it is time that either BC moved to having a provincial force again for community policing or communities pony up for a small force or amalgamation with other local forces. Having community policing done by federal police seems problematic on a lot of levels.

 

You'd be unlikely to see that view held by Sooke residents though.

[Barrrister]

West shore seems pretty happy with their RCMP experience. 

[lanforod]

There are a lot of pros and cons to both approaches, I think.