VicPD has issued a quarterly report to council. It's in council's latest agenda: https://pub-victoria...ocumentId=40792
The highlights:
Significant staffing changes at the start of Q1 have resulted in the transfer (as a result of promotions) and loss (as a result of retirements, maternity, occupational stress injuries, etc.) of civilian and sworn staff. Approximately 50 percent of ISD is composed of new staff, including all supervisory positions, except two. This has created challenges due to a loss of knowledge and general experience. For example, new staff must learn ISD Business Rules, Major Case Management and disclosure standards, new reporting requirements, and other administrative components. Additionally, many of the staff require core training; however, are unable to attend due to staff shortage, or attend despite critically low staffing.
Currently, several officers are not operationally deployable to front line police duties for various reasons, including: physical and occupational stress injuries, pregnancy/maternity, and recruit training. The impact is felt across the Department. In 2018, Senior Management committed to fully staff the four Patrol Watches to address the shortages. This decision formed part of the rationale for the redeployment of the six officers from the School Liaison, Community Engagement, Community Services, and Intelligence Officer positions. This commitment has been unsustainable in 2018 and 2019. Patrol is currently 11.5 members short, with no obvious signs of improvement in the future absent specific action to address the shortage.
Despite the value of the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) program, which has been reiterated via tangible outcomes and preliminary research conducted by the University of Victoria, funding was denied for the ACT pilot project which funded two of the three ACT officer positions. Expansion from one to three officers in 2017 increased the capacity of ACT teams, resulting in an increase in referrals and acceptance of patients who presented with higher needs and/or had an increased propensity towards violence. The intensive supports provided by the teams allow individuals to thrive. For example, one ACT client is entering his seventh month at the Therapeutic Recovery Community and another has been there for three months.