Vancouver Police Department projected to be over budget for 2024: report

The Vancouver Police Department is expecting to be over budget by the end of the year, according to a report.

The Variance Report was presented to the Vancouver Police Board Sept. 19 and covered a six-month period ending June 30, 2024.

It found that by the end of Q2, the VPD is over budget by 5.2 per cent or $10,722,123, and is expected to finish the year over budget by 1.6 per cent or $6,588,234.

Coun. Pete Fry called the overspend concerning but said the city will have to find a way to pay for it.

“We do have to pay for any overreach in the police budget because that’s work that’s already done,” he said.

“I’m assuming the mayor is going to look to cut elsewhere because he’s committed to a 5.5 percent tax increase,” he said, referring to a May meeting where Mayor Ken Sim moved an amendment to request the property tax increase for next year be no higher than 5.5 per cent.

“He’s well aware we had this overage coming and heaven help us when it comes to FIFA,” Fry said. “Because we know that FIFA is going to be even more of an outrageous overtime expenditure.”

‘We’re not stopping’

Mayor Ken Sim, who sits on the Vancouver Police Board, said city council will find the funds to pay for it, but didn’t elaborate on how.

“When we’re looking at public safety on the streets, we don’t have our police officers looking at a budget and saying, ‘Oh we can’t respond to that call’ or ‘We can’t make sure that a peaceful protest remains peaceful,’” he said. “Looking at the financials, we have to react to situations.”

Sim said he thinks the VPD are diligent with resources and that he plans to continue to fund the department.

“We’re not stopping,” he said. “We will continue to invest in public safety before, now and ongoing until the city gets even more safe.”

Protests, overtime

For the end of the year overspend, the department cites overtime costs for policing the Stanley Cup finals and local protests in response to geo-political events.

According to the VPD, “if these extraordinary events did not occur, the VPD’s year-end projection would be 0.9% or $3,538,234 over budget.”

As to why the department is over budget for Q2, the report stated it’s mainly due to overtime.

The VPD said overtime is to attend to protests related to the Israel-Hamas war, the city requesting the department’s assistance with the “Hastings Street cleaning” – or enforcing a bylaw that prohibits structures on sidewalks – and backfilling vacancies.

‘Unprecedented number’

CTV News asked both the VPD and the Vancouver Police Board for an interview, but no one was made available.

In a statement to CTV News, Frank Chong, the chair of the Vancouver Police Board, said, “the Vancouver Police Board is aware of extraordinary pressures placed on the VPD this year, due to the unprecedented number of protests and demonstrations.”

Chong added, “Deployments ensure safety and order at protests and city-led decampment operations, and the VPD has continued to keep the City informed about the costs of these initiatives which are contributing to the Q2 budget variance. The board and department continue to work with the city to manage the financial pressure, including ensuring additional support if it is needed at year-end.”

Staff attrition

The report adds that although new officers were hired, there are always vacancies due to natural attrition.

When asked about staffing vacancies, Vancouver police spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison said, in an email, that since October 15, 2022, the department has hired 179 officers, and that during that time, 112 officers have left the VPD.

“Many of these officers retired, however others chose to join other police agencies,” Addison said. “Our authorized strength is 1,448, however the actual staffing numbers vary from day to day and week to week, depending on new hires and retirements.”

The report states the Q2 trends are projected to continue to the end of 2024, and factors in funding for the mid-year benefit rate adjustment that the city has not yet transferred, the costs of city staff requesting VPD assistance with Hastings Street, and funding for the park board’s alcohol consumption on beaches pilot project.

According to the variance report, the budget projections could change due to demonstrations, homicides, street disorder and other unpredictable events.

Highest paid police force

According to a variance report, presented to the board April 24, in 2023, the VPD was over budget by 0.2 per cent or $869,165. 

The department said the overspend was due to “unforeseen and non-recoverable protests and demonstrations deployment costs associated with the Israel/Hamas conflict that began early October.”

As per the report, except for 2021 and 2023, the VPD has maintained a budget surplus for 17 of the past 19 years.

The VPD is on track to be one of the highest-paid police forces in Canada.

In May, the department added another $450,000 to its financials, growing the department’s budget to over $415 million.