Whereas public safety is of equal concern to both municipal and regional district residents; And whereas rural populations are growing steadily; And whereas provincial policing compliments have not been increased at the same rate as municipally funded positions; And whereas lack of police resources affects rural safety and is putting a strain on municipal budgets: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the province increase the provincially funded positions immediately; And be it further resolved that future resource allocations accurately reflect the rural demands for policing services.
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General As part of the Provincial Governments Safer Communities Action Plan, announced November 20, 2022, the Province has approved an unprecedented, multi-year investment of approximately 230 million to the base funding for the RCMP, as the Provincial Police Service. This funding will address existing gaps in staffing, and allow the Provincial Police Service to reach its full authorized strength of 2,602 members. This investment will ensure adequate and effective levels of policing and law enforcement, particularly in rural, remote and Indigenous communities, and in a wide variety of specialized teams that investigate and prevent complex, violent and organized crimes. Ministry staff are engaged with RCMP E Division regarding the next steps to address the vacancies and resource pressures in specialized functions, such as Major Crime Section and BC Highway Patrol, as well as at front-line provincial detachment units. It is important to note that this funding comes into effect April 1, 2023 and is not an increase in new member positions, beyond the authorized strength of 2,602 members. On April 28, 2022, the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act released its report and recommendations. Creating a fair and equitable shared funding model for municipalities is recommendation 6 in the report. The report recommends reviewing the funding model and considering local needs and geography of the service delivery area. The ministry has carefully reviewed and analysed the report and will take a phased approach in responding to the recommendations. The ministry will also undertake broader engagement to meaningfully address the Special Committees recommendations.