Whereas the Ports Canada Police was disbanded in 1997 and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority discontinued its financial contribution to the RCMP-led Waterfront Joint Forces Operation in 2015; And whereas this loss of police resources has weakened the security of Canadas ports and allowed organized crime elements to proliferate, as evidenced by the 2023 Peter German report Policing our Ports; And whereas the provincial and federal governments have statutory authorities in respect of taxation and fees related to the port and the transportation of shipping containers: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Province to work with the Canadian government and port municipalities to develop a shipping container levy as a funding mechanism to re-establish dedicated resources to police ports and waterfronts, including the Port of Vancouver, in order to address the issue of organized crime operating through Canadas ports.
