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Council briefs: Review of policing model could take up to 18 months

Nov 13, 2018 | 4:03 PM

A scope of work has been determined for The City of Red Deer’s pending review of its policing governance and delivery model.

In June, city council approved proceeding with a review.

Chief among what the review will take into consideration are the differences in governance, cost and operations between the current RCMP model, an independent municipal police force, a regional force, and a hybrid of any of those.

“There is a shifting landscape in terms of provincial and federal legislation, Red Deer’s growth as a major regional city has shifted, and of course the fluidity and complexity of crime has shifted,” said Mayor Tara Veer. “We have a responsibility to review both the governance and service to meet the needs of the city we are today and meet… and the city we are becoming.”

The regional model will only be researched from the perspective of ‘what are the factors to consider that would not preclude a regional model evolution sometime in the future,’ according to a report.

Additionally, the service portion of the review will look at the main programs being delivered through The City’s Police Services Department. Responsibilities of both RCMP and municipal employees will be under the microscope.

The full review – which will be undertaken by a consultant – isn’t expected to be complete for 12-18 months.

City council has also ratified a new three-year collective agreement with CUPE Local 417.

Canadian Union of Public Employees members ratified the deal on Nov. 6 after they and The City of Red Deer met over 13 days of bargaining.

There are 979 employees affected.

Workers will see raises of one per cent, one per cent and two per cent, effective Jan. 1 of 2018, 2019 and 2020.

In a release from The City, it’s stated that negotiations proceeded well and that both parties are satisfied the deal meets current and future needs.

Red Deer’s 9-1-1 dispatch centre is adding another two communities.

The City of Leduc and another yet-to be-named smaller municipality approached The City of Red Deer recently about transferring their Call Answer and Fire Department 9-1-1 calls to Red Deer from their current service provider.

City council approved the request on Tuesday.

To do so, they had to approve a number of budget items early, including $237,000 in additional revenue, $213,000 in expenses, and two full-time positions. The net result is $24,000 in revenue.

Red Deer’s dispatch centre currently services upwards of 80 communities from Banff/Jasper to the AB/SK border, and from Wetaskiwin in the north to Airdrie and Brooks in the south.

Leduc will make the transition next spring. The other community, which isn’t being named because it hasn’t yet provided notice to its current provider, will come on at a later date.