VANCOUVER -- The battle over the Vancouver Police Department's 2021 budget is being escalated to the provincial government.
The Vancouver Police Board announced Tuesday that members had unanimously decided to apply for a budget review from B.C.'s director of policing, describing the approximately $340 million budget approved by city council last year as a "$5.7 million cut."
"This decision was made without any analysis or risk assessment regarding public safety impacts," vice-chair Barj Dhahan said in a statement. "It appears the VPD is the only municipal police department in British Columbia to have been subject to a budget cut for 2021."
Councillors who rejected the police department's proposed budget of $346 million have framed the approved budget, which matches the budget for 2020, as maintaining the status quo during a time of increased costs and significantly reduced revenue.
But the board insists the budget will force Vancouver police to delay hiring replacements as members quit or retire, and doesn't factor in "contractual legal obligations for collective agreement provisions, or inflationary increases." Dhahan suggested it will have be a negative impact on public safety and officers' well-being.
Under Section 27(3) of B.C.'s Police Act, disputes over an item or amount in a municipal police budget can be sent to the provincial director of policing for review. The director must then "determine whether the item or amount should be included" and inform the public safety minister, police board and city council.
In a statement, Mayor Kennedy Stewart noted that the economic realities of the COVID-19 crisis has already forced the city to lay off 1,800 staff and defer $250 million in capitol projects. Councillors have also taken a 10 per cent pay cut.
"Council was forced to grapple with $13 million in increased costs due to the pandemic, while losing $85 million in revenues," Stewart said. "Council decided to hold the 2021 police budget steady, while at the same time boosting funding for community policing centres to $300,000 to enhance public safety."
He noted that the police department's budget has ballooned by 70 per cent over the last decade, and currently makes up one-fifth of Vancouver's entire operating budget.
“The city looks forward to hearing from the director of police services regarding the process for consideration of the Police Board’s application and is ready to provide any information the director may require," Kennedy said.
