(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Troy Gillard

STICKING WITH RCMP

City council votes against municipal force for Red Deer

Jan 21, 2020 | 4:30 PM

The City of Red Deer is sticking with the RCMP for its policing services.

In a special meeting Tuesday afternoon at City Hall, council voted 6-3 against a motion tabled by Councillor Tanya Handley calling for the city to proceed with the development of a municipal force for Red Deer.

The City of Red Deer will instead continue contracting the RCMP while also seeking ways to improve service levels in response to community needs.

Tuesday’s vote came after council considered a $200,000 report commissioned last year, conducted by KPMG, which considered the pros and cons of various policing models and identified opportunities for improvements to current services.

Councillor Handley said the main motive behind her motion was to give the city greater oversight over its policing and to speed up the implementation of locally-developed policing strategies in response to the needs of the community. Councillors Buck Buchanan and Vesna Higham agreed.

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The city currently spends about $38 million per year for RCMP services. With salary increases due to unionization and inflation taken into account that number is projected to grow to $44 million annually by 2023. By comparison, a municipal police force would cost Red Deer around $51 million in 2023.

Of note, Red Deer currently receives a 10 per cent federal subsidy for its RCMP contract, a subsidy that would be lost by switching to a municipal force.

Mayor Tara Veer said citizens wouldn’t appreciate a five to 10 per cent tax increase needed to make a switch.

Several councillors said during debate that the real problems when it comes to crime and public safety lie within the justice system and not the work being done by RCMP.

“These are where the real frustrations, I believe, lay,” said Councillor Ken Johnston, who spoke passionately of favour of sticking with RCMP. “The police – all police – are being neutralized by a fractured judiciary. Switching does not solve that reality.”

Some councillors expressed their optimism that service improvements can be found through the current working relationship with RCMP. There was also a call for the community to unite and support whichever police force is tasked with combating crime and ensuring community safety in Red Deer.

Another factor that weighed on Tuesday’s vote was the province’s impending review of Alberta’s Police Act and commitment to exploring the possibility of a provincial police force. Both raise the possibility that council could be back at the table two years from now once again discussing what police model best suits Red Deer.

Handley, Higham and Buchanan voted in favour of switching to a municipal police force for Red Deer. Veer, Johnston, Michael Dawe, Dianne Wyntjes, Lawrence Lee, and Frank Wong voted against.