The Victoria Police Department says its current budget will not allow it to provide full coverage to public events such as the city’s Canada Day celebrations.
“Within the parameters and allocation of the 2019 budget, we no longer have the capacity to absorb unfunded expenditures,” VicPD Finance Committee Chair Sean Powell said in a letter to Victoria council.
READ MORE: Victoria Police Department requests cash to cover Canada Day
Canada Day costs include police and civilian overtime, supplies, logistics and BC Sheriff services. Annually, $12,000 is supplied by the city, $31,600 is funded through the police core budget and $78,400 is then absorbed as an “unfunded non-recoverable expenditure.”
Count. Ben Isitt suggested limiting the area where celebrations take place. However, Mayor Lisa Helps said that option was not realistic, calling the police request reasonable.
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READ MORE: Six new police officers add $300,000 to Victoria’s 2019 budget
