A new 20-year RCMP contract signed Wednesday by the B.C. and federal governments is more about controlling costs than police accountability, says an SFU criminologist.
Rob Gordon, a former police officer who has long advocated for a separate B.C. provincial force, says the new deal is pretty much the same as the one that’s expiring at the end of the month.
“It’s got nothing to do with police effectiveness or police priorities but everything to do with controlling the money,” he said.
But solicitor general Shirley Bond stresses the new contract will give municipalities more say in how the RCMP are run in the province.
“This contract gives us new management and oversight ability that will allow us to contain costs and take a more direct role in determining what police services will look like in our province,” Bond said at a signing ceremony with federal Public Safety Minister Vic Toews at the Surrey RCMP detachment.
Under the new deal, a contract-management committee comprising 10 municipal representatives will have more input on decisions regarding costs, policing quality and delivery, as well as on the hiring of senior management positions by the RCMP. Municipalities will have more influence and control, but they will pay a little more.
B.C. will be paying another $ 5.7 million a year on top of the $ 310 million it already pays.
Municipalities with over 15,000 residents will have to shell out an extra $ 2.35 million, and smaller towns will together pay $ 320,000 more in the coming year.
However, Ottawa agreed to chip in more for integrated policing teams such as the gang task force and IHIT in recognition of B.C’s gangs and gun problem.
The overall cost-sharing ratio for normal policing remains unchanged.
Gordon says the deal is still problematic “if you cut through the rhetoric.”
“There’s no change in accountability where it counts,” he said. “If you have local or provincial control, you can better determine how the dollars are spent. I don’t think it’s cost-effective to have a contractor whose head office is in Ottawa. It makes no sense.”
Local news from metronews.ca/vancouver
About The Reporter
