The costs for extra RCMP officers on city streets might not truly be felt until 2017, according to a report prepared in advance of Wednesday's city budget meeting.
Last week, Prince George RCMP Supt. Warren Brown came before city council to request a boost to his budget in order to hire three additional police officers next year, as part of a phased approach to having seven more cops by 2018.
The estimated cost of boosting the RCMP roster by three people was $481,369.50.
But "there can be a significant time lag before those members actually arrive and are billed to the municipality," said a report from community services general manager Rob Whitwham. "In the case of the member request for 2016, the detachment would not expect to see those three members until September 2016."
If that's the case, the actual cost for 2016 would be $160,456, said Whitwham.
Brown made the appeal on the basis of having more boots on the ground for general duty to keep up with proactive policing to combat the city's high crime rate.
Municipal police are also taking on more tasks formerly associated with other levels of government, noted Coun. Brian Skakun, who quoted from a 2008 Federation of Canadian Municipalities report.
"The federal share of the cost of provincial and municipal RCMP contract services has declined steadily over time, from 50 per cent as recently as 1976... and down to zero for all municipal contracts signed after 1992," said the report.
Brown said he wanted to be "respectful of other partners in the criminal justice system," but when prompted, said that there are a variety of tasks which now take time away from officers' regular duties.
"We are now utilized to do curfew checks, and a lot of work that other provincial and federal responsibilities owned in the past. With DNA, with sex offender registry, with other provincially sponsored and federally sponsored programs, we now utilize our resources to meet those needs," said Brown. "There's a higher demand for disclosure in courts now based on case logs, so more resources are now focused on providing that. And that becomes more cumbersome. Investigations have become more complicated and so are some of the tools that we use."
Members of council didn't seem overly keen on Brown's request last Wednesday, but ultimately supported Mayor Lyn Hall's recommendation that staff have a closer look at it and bring it back for this week.
Budget wrap up
Wednesday's meeting should wrap up the discussion for next year's financial plan. As with last week, two public input opportunities are scheduled for the start of each session at city hall in council chambers at 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Budgets within the engineering and public works department will be approved, including line items for snow clearing, pothole patching and garbage collection.
On Monday night, city council approved eliminating the $30 fee for residents wishing to downsize their curbside garbage cans.
But utility fees for the service are going up two per cent for the next three years.
City council will also approve the capital plan, which includes projects ranging from purchasing an asphalt recycler ($224,000), to repaving roads ($7 million) to building a skate park in the Hart ($495,000).
