Mayors in Metro Vancouver communities who haven’t signed the new RCMP contract are meeting this week to look at their policing options.
Port Coquitlam Mayor Greg Moore says the mayors want to present a united front on some kind of regional police force concept.
“Well we are looking to get together to talk about what the future of policing looks like for the region you know it is an important conversation to have and it is about time we had it.”
Moore says the Mounties provide excellent bang for the buck but “Some of us have a concern about the details that are within the contract and some of the unknowns that are there. We are trying to get clarity around that but before we sign the contract I think it is an excellent opportunity to review all options in front of us and that is what I think we are looking to do.”
Moore says if the hold out mayors decides they want a regional police force instead of the RCMP the hope is the province will work with them.
“Well I would hope the province wants to play a role in that because we are all in this together to provide safety for our residents and our communities. So we all have a role to play in that I hope it does not, you know silos in the process. I think we need to break those down and work together for what’s best for our residents.”
The “hard deadline” set by the province for municipalities to sign the new RCMP contract is at months end.
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