The Board of Police Commissioners is seeking an 8.25 percent increase in the budget for the Halifax Regional Police Department. If approved by city council, last year’s budget of $69,168,989 will increase by $5,705,951 to a total of $74,874,940.
Additionally, the RCMP will demand a 5.5 percent increase in the amount HRM pays the force for policing services in rural and suburban areas, says mayor Peter Kelly. Last year, the city paid $20,625,700 for RCMP services; a 5.5 percent increase amounts to $1,134,414, for a total of $21,760,114.
The total impact to the city budget for increased police costs would be $6,840,365.
In a presentation before the board, police chief Frank Beazley broke down the increased costs as follows:
The Board agreed to the request on a voice vote, and the matter will be taken up by city council at its budget session, which starts April 4.
The suggested 8.25 percent increase in the police budget comes as council has directed staff to keep total budget increases limited to somewhere between the rate of inflation for the consumer price index, which is 2.9 percent this year, and the “municipal price index,” a measure that looks at only costs to city governments, which is 4.1 percent this year. Realistically, then, an increase in the police budget of this size means that other city operations and services will have to be cut.
“How are we going to rationalize this to the other business units?” asked councillor and board member Sue Uteck. “So, for example, if I’m Community Development and Culture, and my budget just got cut by $300,000 but Frank [Beazley] is getting an increase, how do you look at balancing this out?”
“The only changes that are in any business unit’s budgets,” answered city finance director Cathie O’Toole, “are driven by changes in the wage model, contracts and legislation—things that are unavoidable. I think it would be more difficult to justify to other business units if it was a matter of discretionary funding being added, or funding for new programs or services. But because every business unit is involved with the process, everybody’s doing the same process; they understand it. I doubt that there will be any questioning as to why police might receive an 8.25 percent increase versus, say, finance, whatever our percentage increase ends up being.”
Any changes in those proposals would have to come at the council level, said O’Toole.
At another point in the meeting Beazley noted that the violent crime rate has decreased in each of the last five years.
This article appears in Feb 10-16, 2011.
Crime is decreasing, yet the police force wants an increase in funding, during a period of fiscal crisis. I’m sure the magicians staffing City Hall will find the appropriate rabbit to explain away yet another glaring logical inconsistency.
If the crime rate is going down, then whatever the coppers are doing is working and I would say keep with the “status quo” (which by coincidence is council’s favorite way of doing things!) and thus no need for additional funding over CPI maybe.
Odd that crime is down but most mornings I hear of another shooting, stabbing, beating, etc….
Tell Sue the increase may have something to do with the outrageous pay raise the black shirts are about to squeeze out of her and her colleagues.
Let us hope she and others get rid of the contract provision that gives automatic pay raises to police based on pay increases in big cities in Canada.
I would offer the police union MAPP a ZERO increase but let them keep their jobs
I would get rid of PR being delivered by sworn officers and replace as many sworn officers as possible with civilians.
Crime reported TO police, and crime reported BY police is down. Why the hell would I report that someone tried to rob or assault me if I defend myself? I could get in trouble just for using force. After all, liberals will claim it’s “excessive” to knock out someone trying to rob you.
The police budget will have to be slashed to help pay for the new convention center.
You know, I appreciate the service provided by the police, and if we weren’t so…hard done by… I would give them most anything. But, the men and women who provide us with security for our community are also themselves members of the same community which is said to be floundering. That our financial plight has been disregarded with a request for almost double the recommended max increase leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth. Is there anyone on the taxpayers payroll who going to go first when it comes to sucking it up by not demanding more…or even, god forbid, sacrifice by asking for less?
Of course, I could be overreacting, after all, the board doesn’t have appeared to have batted an eye over the increase request.
Tell Uncle Frank to come back with a new budget showing a 5% cut and see what that looks like.
I hear that the black shirts will soon have their own staff doing the budgets and other admin stuff and O’Toole will be out of the loop. HPD will soon be an entirely seperate organisation just like the school board, Halifax Forum, Sportsplex, TCL etc.
Council will continue to agree to a budget amount but other than that City Hall will be pushed to the side.
Read the police commission minutes, all you need to know is there. Apparently the media don’t read the minutes and rarely attend a meeting, which means they have not read the independent study which recommended major changes and are acceptable to the Justice Department.
” $100,000 for “Part VI” investigations, that is, wiretapping.”
There you have it boys…the Halifax police spend at least $100,000 for ease dropping in on your phone conversations.
Was this a buff to the existing funds or the entire funds for this purpose?
Makes one wonder….