Victoria police face being understaffed amid proposed budget cuts

The Victoria Police Department headquarters is shown: April 12, 2019. (CTV Vancouver Island)

Layoffs could be imminent for the Victoria Police Department if it adheres to the requests of the City of Victoria, and cuts over $2 million from its budget.

The cuts, expected to total $2.5 million, would have a significant impact on the police department’s workforce, with fewer officers able to patrol the streets and monitor crime, the VicPD said.

Looking at its funding, and setting aside all of the new hires and community outreach staff set to be included in the 2025 budget, the only way to adhere to the new numbers would be to cut the amount of officers on duty, said the Victoria and Esquimalt police board’s finance committee chair, Elizabeth Cull.

The lack of officers will impact VicPD's ability to deliver police services to the community, she said.

The $2-million budget slash is a direct result of the property taxes, says Victoria’s mayor Marianne Alto, and the public telling council the increase this year cannot be as high as the 12 per cent put forward by city staff.

Every sector of the city will be forced to make difficult cuts if they want to keep property tax increases within the single digits, she said.