The opinions expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect the view or opinions of the City of Surrey or other members of Surrey Council.
Chief Palmer could look to Surrey for solutions.
As Vancouver Council works to get their costs under control perhaps, they should consider contracting their policing services to the RCMP. It is challenging for all local governments to manage budgets at the best of times, but the added challenge of COVID-19 has put pressures on every department within all cities.
Alternatively, perhaps the VPD Chief could take a page out of the policing model they created for the City of Surrey and decrease the force by approx. 3.5%. According to the chart below Surrey’s population to officer ratio was already high, in fact, one of the highest among Canada’s large cities.
Below is the policing cost per population comparison for Delta, Surrey, Vancouver, and Victoria.
Chief Palmer’s said “I’m concerned about the lack of transparency in this process. Decisions that have the potential to have a fundamental impact on public safety should not be made in private.” Ironically, that is exactly how the vast majority of Surrey Residents feel about the VPD creating a policing model for Surrey without consultation with them.
A few thoughts for the long weekend.
Cllr. Brenda Locke – (604) 317-9005 or email [email protected]