VicPD 2023 budget appeal partially approved, three officers to be hired

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ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Victoria-Police-Department-VicPD-Vehicle-Cruiser-CHEK-000014-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.



com/cheknews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Victoria-Police-Department-VicPD-Vehicle-Cruiser-CHEK-000014-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1" />A decision in the 2023 budget appeal for VicPD has now come in, with B.

C.’s director of police services approving some of the items and denying some others.Overall, this appeal approval is expected to result in a 3.

78 per cent property tax increase for Victoria residents, and almost three per cent for Esquimalt residents.The request in the VicPD appeal from the 2023 budget for a Records Archivist ($56,250), 3 police officers ($425,000), and “professional services” ($1,633,190) were all fully approved by Glen Lewis, the assistant deputy minister and director of police services.Capital funding ($1.

2 million) and building maintenance ($878,763.11) were partially funded. VicPD had requested $1.

5 million for Capital funding and $964,630 for maintenance.Lewis approved capital funding for police vehicles, equipment and infrastructure, but denied the requests within this item for office renovations and “greening” the vehicle fleet.The building maintenance was only funded up to the amount Victoria and Esquimalt councils charged the departments for maintenance in 2023.

Five of the requests from VicPD in the 2023 budget appeal were denied. These were for a Financial Analyst ($85,000), Records Supervisor ($92,000), Training Specialist ($89,000), Body Worn Camera Pilot ($150,000) and Retirements ($100,000).The financial analyst, records supervisor, training specialist and retirements were denied due to not being necessary to provide “adequate and effective policing.

”The body worn camera pilot was denied due to not being necessary, but Lewis noted this is being rolled out across municipalities across the province. “I would encourage the municipalities to consider future requests to participate in the pilot project,” he said.Story continues belowREAD PREVIOUS: Victoria and Esquimalt councils vote to keep police budget increase to 7 per centIn a report to Victoria council on Thursday, staff said if VicPD decided to request the full amount from Lewis’ decision, it would result in a 3.

78 per cent increase.Esquimalt’s Mayor Barb Desjardins says the budget will be considered on Monday and it is likely to result in a close to three per cent tax increase.A VicPD spokesperson says the department had previously indicated to Victoria and Esquimalt councils it would be requesting the full amount from the appeal.

However, it intends to phase in the requests over the 2025 and 2026 budgets.For 2025, the costs it is seeking amounts to a total of $780,157, which would be $106,647 from Esquimalt and $673,510 from Victoria.This is to account for the pro-rating costs for the civilian position the department intends to hire to start on June 1, and that it anticipates the three police officers will be hired to start on Sept.

1.“This reduced request for funding in 2025 reflects an acknowledgement of the budget pressures experienced by the municipalities and is considered to be a realistic and reasonable amount in 2025,” Micayla Hayes, chair of the Victoria and Esquimalt Police Board, said in a letter to the councils.“It is the Police Board’s intention to add the full amount awarded of $1,086,928 to the 2026 Provisional Budget (Esquimalt share $148,567, Victoria share $938,241).

”In Victoria’s committee of the whole meeting on Thursday, staff noted in 2023 council approved funding for two police officers, of the three requested, and had set aside the money to pay for the two positions while the city awaited the appeal decision.Victoria, Esquimalt councils ordered to pay for police increases twice beforeThis is now the third time that VicPD has successfully won an appeal against Victoria and Esquimalt councils after their full budget requests weren’t funded.In 2019, the councils were required to fund the hiring of six additional police officers after Esquimalt council had voted 4-3 against the funding.

Victoria council had approved the budget item.READ PREVIOUS: Province orders hiring of six VicPD officersThen in 2022, Esquimalt council once again denied a request for 10 new officer positions, pointing to the low crime severity rate in the township and the disproportionate policing costs due to sharing with Victoria.Later in the year, the municipalities were ordered to fund the positions.

READ PREVIOUS: Province orders Esquimalt to pay VicPD budget increasePrior to being ordered to fund the positions, Esquimalt council voted to explore options to leave the police agreement and find alternate options for the municipality.Esquimalt council votes to end VicPD police agreementThe post VicPD 2023 budget appeal partially approved, three officers to be hired appeared first on CHEK..