The Victoria police department hopes to see its budget increase by $4.6 million in 2024, but it’s also asking the province to award it almost $2 million more by overriding previous council decisions.
VicPD’s provisional budget seeks a 6.86 per cent increase in 2024, with about 88 per cent of the hike being allocated for increased staffing.
However, the police board has appealed decisions made by Victoria and Esquimalt councils last spring, which denied several new resource requests. If the province fully backs the police board’s appeal, it would add another 2.95 per cent, or about $2 million, to the budget increase.
The director of police services is currently considering submissions to make a determination on the appeal, a public safety ministry spokesperson told Black Press Media.
Asked why the province makes local councils spend months deliberating over the police budget if it’s just going to override those choices, the spokesperson responded by listing the police act sections that explain the budget dispute process. The ministry did not answer a question asking if it sees overriding a council’s policing decision as democratic and responsible to taxpayers.
The largest single cost increase this year pertains to higher VicPD salaries and benefits, accounting for $2.38 million (51 per cent) of the requested increase. The police board also hopes councils will fund four new positions, including a reintegration sergeant, a training constable, a second internet child exploitation investigator and an FOI analyst. Those four positions would cost a total of $567,000.
The dedicated reintegration sergeant would lead the program that supports those involved in officer-involved shootings, traumatic events, serious crimes or fatalities. The initiative launched in June 2022 and was put into full service after the Saanich bank robbery that year. In the long term, the program focuses on returning members to work following a physical or psychological injury, or a period of extended absence.
The draft budget said adding a second internet child exploitation (ICE) investigator – a position that investigates online luring, child pornography offences and more – would help deal with a growing workload. VicPD’s ICE files grew from 37 in 2021 to 95 a year later, and 97 files were opened in the first five months of this year.
The draft budget includes an additional $900,000 for dispatch services in 2024. It states the increased funds, requested by E-Comm, are significantly higher than what was anticipated due to higher-than-expected call loads.
The last five years have seen a significant increase in retirements and resignations compared to the past, the budget states. VicPD is seeking an increase of $135,000 for recruiting as 11 per cent of its positions remain vacant – a figure the budget states is comparable to other B.C. departments.
Last budget season, Victoria committed to funding two of three new front-line officers that were requested, but some councillors noted it would be premature to allocate increased funds for new positions while the force is still trying to staff current vacancies. VicPD Chief Del Manak told council this month that recruitment is challenged by Victoria’s high cost of living and the difficulty of trying to get officers from rural areas to come do the complex policing that an urban core requires.
An issue during the 2023 budgeting process was how Victoria was paying $220,000 for a late-night program that sees foot patrols added downtown on weekends. The issue was those funds were included in the city’s budget instead of VicPD’s. In a Nov. 2 presentation to council, VicPD’s finance chair said the department shares concerns around the funding scheme and said it’d be more transparent to include the funds in the police budget.
However, doing so would mean Esquimalt would have to pay about 14 per cent of those costs because of the current policing framework agreement. Councillors floated the idea of creating a separate agreement that would see Victoria cover all the late-night program’s costs, and have them included in the VicPD budget.
READ: Victoria keeps downtown patrol program, police board now says some requests can wait
READ: Esquimalt ordered to pony up its portion of 2022 Victoria police budget increase