The Victoria Esquimalt Police Board has officially requested the province step in and determine how to resolve a $1-million dispute over the cost of 10 new Victoria police positions.
“We hope that process will not take the same 18 months that it’s taken in the past,” said Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, lead co-chair of the police board.
Last month, Esquimalt council rejected a request from Victoria police that it fund its share of 10 new positions.
While Esquimalt approved the core police budget, it did not approve funding for 10 new personnel — four civilian positions and two officers for the Assertive Community Treatment team, two officers who would be part of a co-responder team with Island Health, a cultural liaison officer to build bridges with the Indigenous, Black and people of colour communities, and a sergeant to work on cybercrime.
Victoria council approved both the core budget and its share of the $1-million funding request for the new positions.
Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins, deputy co-chair of the police board, said she agreed the department needs the extra personnel and resources, but sided with her council in saying Esquimalt should not have to pay for it.
The fact that resources are needed was laid out for the public during Tuesday’s board meeting.
A finance committee report noted that by the end of March — 23 per cent through the payroll fiscal year — the police department was already 30 per cent over its overtime budget.
The board was told increased costs were driven by front-line overtime to maintain shift minimums while the department is understaffed.
The report noted that while the 2022 overtime budget for patrol was increased by $100,000, costs continue to exceed that level due to shortages of staff and work-related injuries.
The Police Framework Agreement, which governs the Victoria and Esquimalt amalgamated service delivery, is up for renewal this summer.
Esquimalt is unhappy with the current arrangement, and Desjardins has said it is engaging with the community to determine if it will renew the agreement.
When there are disputes over police budgets, the province can be asked to determine how money should be spent and who should spend it.
Recently, the Vancouver Police Department announced it had won an appeal to the provincial government, forcing Vancouver city council to restore $5.7 million it had cut from the 2021 police budget.
In 2019, the province reversed Esquimalt council’s 2018 decision to turn down the hiring of six additional officers for Victoria police.
