Police Financing

WHEREAS the proposed police financing model calls for the collection of an additional 30,000,000 in taxation from rural area and small community taxpayers, with no commensurate increase in service levels and no substantive provision to control costs; AND WHEREAS the majority of rural areas receive their police services through existing detachments located within neighbouring municipalities responsible for 70 or more of the policing costs and whose detachments are already at maximum capacity without the ability to increase service levels to adjacent rural areas; AND WHEREAS rural area residents and their elected officials will have expectations of enhanced service levels based on the additional taxation they will be charged, resulting in rural and municipal residents and elected officials vying for a service that does not have the capacity to meet increased service demands, resulting in divisive frustration for all parties, including police officials: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities petition the provincial government to delay implementation of the new police financing model until such time as a model has been developed that encompasses effective cost control and accountability measures for local governments and that provides opportunities for portions of the taxation collected from rural area taxpayers to be utilized to enhance service delivery in those areas.