On July 4, 2023, the Local Government RCMP Contract Management Committee (LGCMC) met with provincial government and RCMP representatives to discuss issues related to the Municipal Police Unit Agreement, and policing more broadly in British Columbia. Key issues discussed at the meeting are summarized in this article.
Surrey Policing Transition
Committee members discussed the City of Surrey’s decision to retain the RCMP as its police service, as well as the Minister’s direction that the City provide a revised plan that does not prioritize Surrey RCMP re-staffing over other BC RCMP vacancies and resourcing needs. UBCM’s position has remained consistent throughout this process; it supports local government autonomy, and seeks to ensure that any actions taken do not negatively impact the broader membership. The LGCMC discussed recent correspondence to the Province from UBCM, which requests information related to the transition and its impacts on local governments. Committee members raised issues related to financial impacts, public safety, and resourcing needs across B.C.
** Please be advised that this discussion took place before the Province’s July 19, 2023 announcement regarding policing in the City of Surrey **
National Contract Management Committee Roundtable
Members received an update on priorities discussed at the June 13, 2023 national Contract Management Committee (CMC) meeting. Items raised by the Province of BC included the impact of vacancies in BC, challenges with accommodations, meetings with local governments regarding the Police Services Agreements, and the Province’s initiatives to address repeat violent offenders.
Items raised by BC’s local government representative included several long-standing priorities (i.e., cost containment, engagement and communication), as well as concerns related to vacancies and the labour relations process.
Other common themes noted by CMC representatives included concerns related to vacancies, the rising cost of policing and associated budget pressures, and challenges for local governments to address complex public safety issues.
RCMP National Headquarters representatives re-iterated that recruitment and vacancies are priorities for the organization. It was also noted that CMC will be engaged as work to address the findings of the Mass Casualty Commission is identified.
Assessment of Contract Policing
The Province met with Public Safety Canada on June 2, and will be developing a written submission to ensure the assessment captures B.C.’s perspectives. The LGCMC’s June 23 meeting with Public Safety Canada is summarized in the July 5 edition of The Compass.
Collective Bargaining
RCMP E Division representatives provided an update on RCMP collective bargaining. As of July 4, five bargaining sessions have been held. The items being negotiated have included work conditions, leave, and compensation. It is unlikely that the financial impact of both compensation and retroactive pay will be as significant as seen with the first Collective Agreement. A more thorough update was provided in the June 28 edition of The Compass.
Local Government representatives shared concerns regarding the negotiations process, including potential salary increases testing the affordability of police services.
Mass Casualty Commission Final Report
An update was provided on work to address the recommendations of the Mass Casualty Commission (MCC). Among the recommendations is a request that Public Safety Canada conduct an independent review of the RCMP.
At the national level, a directorate has been established to collate the recommendations from the MCC and previous commissions and reports. At a local level, E Division will also conduct a review of the recommendations.
Some of the recommendations have already been implemented in BC, including integrated teams, investigative standards, use of force options and civilian review bodies. In addition, action is underway on equipment disposal, uniform disposal, former police car disposal, civilian reviews and the development of a robust employee wellness program.
Multi-Year Financial Plan Update
It was noted that the Multi-Year Financial Plans (MYFPs) for fiscal years 2024/25 to 2028/29 were sent to local governments on June 15 with June 30 as the due date for feedback.
RCMP Recruitment and Vacancies
RCMP E Division shared an update on recruitment and vacancies. The Flexible Posting Program has led to increased interest and more applications to the RCMP. In addition, the recruitment timeline for citizens has been reduced from 18 months to approximately 6.5 months. The Experienced Police Officer (EPO) program has also been successful, with EPOs making up one- third of new members. Many EPOs want to serve outside the Lower Mainland, helping to fill vacancies in other regions.
RCMP representatives also responded to a UBCM member request to discuss staffing in rural detachments. The UBCM member has specifically sought for the RCMP to retain a presence in smaller communities and rural areas, noting that resource allocation should not be solely based on population size and crime statistics. E Division representatives noted their commitment to working with smaller communities to discuss these concerns.
In 2022/23, British Columbia received 36% of all cadets that were posted from Depot Division. This amounted to 226 cadets posted in British Columbia. BC also received 43 EPOs during the same year.
Body Worn Cameras
The RCMP has begun field testing the Motorola body worn cameras (BWC) in Alberta, Nova Scotia, and Nunavut. If the field test is successful, BWC implementation could begin as early as fall 2023.
Public Safety Canada recently advised the CMC that contract partners (i.e., provinces, territories and local governments) will be responsible for the cost of BWCs once implemented in their jurisdictions, beginning in April 2024 as per the provisions in the Policing Services Agreements. This decision was reached despite continued local government requests for the federal government to adjust its funding plan to align with implementation delays that have occurred. The RCMP has indicated that contract partners will only be charged when cameras are implemented and operational in their jurisdiction. The initial rollout locations in BC will be Tofino, Prince George, Kamloops, Mission, Cranbrook, and BC Highway Patrol Lower Mainland.
Major Events & Operational Issues
RCMP E Division provided an update on major events and operational issues that have an impact on local governments, including:
- Gang violence and firearms seizures;
- Illegal drugs;
- Wildfire response;
- Virtual bail; and,
- Resource protests.
Police Act and Public Safety Modernization
Provincial representatives provided an update on this work, including efforts to address recommendations made by the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act. As part of the first phase of work, the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General is considering targeted amendments to existing legislation to address issues such as municipal police governance and oversight. The Ministry expects to begin broader engagement in the fall regarding policy that will form the foundation of new policing and oversight legislation, to be co-developed with Indigenous peoples and local governments. Analysis will also be undertaken on the options for creating any new provincial police service and a new oversight agency.
Local governments have been engaged through the Local Government Policing Modernization Roundtable.
Auxiliary Program
The RCMP and Province have signed a MOU to administer the RCMP’s new Auxiliary Program, at the most comprehensive available level (Tier 3). The RCMP will be putting their full resources behind implementing the new Program. Detachment Commanders are currently engaging with former volunteers. Local governments continue to express interest in having the Auxiliary Program implemented as soon as possible, as an interim solution with the intention of seeing a BC-only program developed in the coming years.
Emerging Municipalities
Provincial representatives provided an overview of the process for emerging municipalities that are nearing the 5,000-population threshold. The Province begins engagement with these municipalities two years before they are expected to reach 5,000 in population. This process includes determining the resource allocation (i.e., number of officers), which is dependent on the unique circumstances of each community.
Local governments have previously raised concerns that the resourcing requirements pre- and post-emergence have differed considerably. The Province noted that reasons for a higher resource requirement post-emergence (after reaching 5,000 in population) may be the result of an increase in urban files in the three years prior to emergence, and that extra provincial resources may even be retained to smooth the transition. Local governments have also expressed concerns with the inability to appeal the Province’s resourcing recommendation. The Province has expressed willingness to receive and discuss feedback related to different approaches with respect to emerging municipalities.