Approaches to public safety reform in BC, featuring the April 2022 report Transforming Policing and Community Safety in BC, were discussed during a policy session at the 2022 Convention. The Chair and Deputy-Chair of the all-party Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act went through the report’s recommendations, and then delegates heard UBCM’s response to the report through the Local Government Policing Modernization Roundtable. Delegates also heard about new anti-racism legislation and the perspective of the RCMP.
Key themes from the provincial report included governance, funding, and service delivery. Special Committee Chair NDP MLA Doug Routley commented that the report identified a need for transformational change with 11 key recommendations that will require significant investments to implement. Chair Routley commented that “in North America, we tried to respond to a chorus of 'defund the police’. Our answer is to retask the police and free them up to do the more important work they need to do. It’s not as though the police have extra funding. What they don’t have is time to do their core tasks."
The impacts of mental health issues and addiction on policing services were a recurring theme of the discussion, with panellist Councillor Craig Hodge pointing out these are largely provincial responsibilities significantly affecting local government budgets. Deputy-Chair Liberal MLA Dan Davies confirmed the report’s recommendation for an all-party parliamentary committee to undertake a broad review of the Mental Health Act.
Parliamentary Secretary Rachna Singh reviewed June 2022 Anti Racism Data Act which will provide better information to drive action and change. This Act ties into the report’s recommendations around mandatory and meaningful training and ongoing education for police officers, and collecting data to identify gaps in service levels so that systemic racism can be identified and addressed.
After presentations from the Director of Police Services and RCMP Deputy Commissioner, delegates expressed their concern about staffing levels and a long history of positions that can’t be filled. Delegates said their communities are hurting now, and need urgent assistance. Director Rideout commented that “the RCMP is struggling to maintain itself, we have vacancy patterns in this Province, with detachments that are below 30% staffed.”
Commissioner McDonald cited difficulties with retaining officers and high rates of turnover and burnout: “the staffing issues we are facing now, I would term a crisis, but help is on the way, if anything in the RCMP, that’s what keeps me up at night.” He outlined steps underway to fill positions including bringing recruiting responsibilities back to the Division and competing with other agencies for recruits.