WHEREAS for more than 50 years, a serious and unjustifiable inequity has existed in many British Columbia communities related to the funding of police resources; and changes in social safety nets and senior government funding have placed an ever growing strain on police forces throughout British Columbia to deal with issues related to gangs, organized crime, addiction, mental health and domestic violence; AND WHEREAS the existing Federal-Provincial Agreement provides federal contributions for policing costs of 10-30 percent to those municipalities currently served by RCMP services; and 11 municipalities in the province, which collectively are home to over 1.2 million British Columbia residents, to which local policing is provided by a municipal police force instead of RCMP, resulting in the entire cost of policing falling to the local taxpayer with no Federal-Provincial funding subsidy; and for these communities, policing costs are without exception the single largest annual cost to the local tax payer: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of British Columbia Municipalities urge the federal and provincial governments to address the issue of equitable police funding by developing an equitable funding program for all British Columbia municipalities.
Ministry of Public Safety Solicitor General The federal contribution to policing in RCMP jurisdictions is not a subsidy. The basis of the contract policing cost sharing arrangement is that there is a benefit to the federal government in that the RCMP can pull up to 10 per cent of the policing resources from a contract community to deal with national emergencies or major events. In addition, the federal government does not need to deploy and house federal officers in contract jurisdictions because RCMP officers are able to perform both federal and local policing roles. This is particularly beneficial in rural areas.
Ministry of Public Safety The federal government recognizes that there are serious challenges in law enforcement today, and that all levels of government have an important role to play in combating crime. The federal government exclusively funds the federal policing function within the RCMP. Federal policing involves the enforcement of federal statutes, including investigations relating to customs and excise, immigration, drugs, bankruptcy and national security. Provinces also have a constitutional responsibility for the administration of justice. Provinces may create municipal police forces and are responsible for working with local officials on appropriate law enforcement funding arrangements. The federal government shares in the cost of contracted RCMP service because of its direct benefits from the contract policing. Federal benefits received under the agreements include: the ability to deploy contract police officers from across the country to respond to major policing events or unforeseen emergencies; enforcement of federal legislation, as well as enhanced, integration of policing and sharing of information and common services. Therefore, federal cost-sharing with contract jurisdiction does not represent a subsidy. In addition to new investments in the RCMP, Budget 2008 created a 400 million fund to help provinces and territories pay for the hiring of an additional 2,500 police officers.