ok, so I'm confused. cleaning up the downtown means getting rid of crime, right? to do that, we need a more visible police presence, right? but instead of hiring 3 more officers to do that for $135,000, we put $350,000 to downtown clean up, on top of what the new downtown business tax is going to bring in? interesting how these folks do the math, and what values they look at! at least the criminals will have a more beautiful place to work and hang out!!

You really think that we only pay police officers $43k a year? If I remember previous stories correctly it's like $140k per officer.

The $135k has got to be partial year funding.

Just a note on this article. The way the increased RCMP staffing request was explained to council was that this year it would cost $135,000 to implement the new members and the following years it would cost at least an additional $350,000 per year. On top of that request, if the RCMP detachment is staffed to from 128 to 131 members and all members are healthy and do not take time off for sick, maternity and other leave the staffing costs could go considerably higher. What really happens most years is the City does not pay for the full compliment because there is leave taken though out the year that the City is not charged for.


Brian SKakun

"RCMP Superintendent Brenda Butterworth-Carr says these officers
aren't for Prince George alone, but the entire North District."

If that is the case, why would Prince George have to pay the entire bill? Aren't there other cities in the North District that should contribute?

Welcome to the site Brian and thank you so much for spending the time to read the opinions of some of the people of PG. :} I for one appreciate it.

RCMP salaries start at $47,393 and normally rise within three years to $76,792. The cost to the city will add benefits to that.

Really? Does it matter what an RCMP member is paid? What ever it is, it's not enough for their line of work! That being said, we need more in this town.

Provincal cops please. R.C.M.P are a disgrace.

Hate to side with the city but more police won't help clean-up downtown. Keep in mind that fellow that was murdered last week had just been in court and charged with 10 serious offenses and yet somehow made bail. We could have a cop on every corner but the reality is anyone they catch doing anything will be back on the street in no time so what's the point. Drug addicts have nothing to lose and more police won't control them to any great extent.

We've actually created a neat little vicious circle. Addicts will always get addicted to something because it's their personality. So we make the drugs illegal which drives up the cost. The addicts can only get drugs from organized crime. Organized crime is willing to take cash or stuff. So addicts commit property offenses to give to organized crime to pay for the overpriced drugs caused by them being illegal. We then pay for police to arrest the addicts to spend an hour in court to go back to the street and do it all over again.

I'm not a drug user, pot smoker and I tend to fall on the right wing side of politics. But even I can see this prohibition is creating a host of unsolvable problems.

The solution to the downtown problem is either legalization or bulldozers. Create a new downtown elsewhere, but put it on private property so security guards can throw people off the property that are hassling their patrons. The current downtown is public access which means you can't forbid anyone for being there and bothering people who just want to be left alone to do their business.

Hate to side with the city but more police won't help clean-up downtown. Keep in mind that fellow that was murdered last week had just been in court and charged with 10 serious offenses and yet somehow made bail. We could have a cop on every corner but the reality is anyone they catch doing anything will be back on the street in no time so what's the point. Drug addicts have nothing to lose and more police won't control them to any great extent.

We've actually created a neat little vicious circle. Addicts will always get addicted to something because it's their personality. So we make the drugs illegal which drives up the cost. The addicts can only get drugs from organized crime. Organized crime is willing to take cash or stuff. So addicts commit property offenses to give to organized crime to pay for the overpriced drugs caused by them being illegal. We then pay for police to arrest the addicts to spend an hour in court to go back to the street and do it all over again.

I'm not a drug user, pot smoker and I tend to fall on the right wing side of politics. But even I can see this prohibition is creating a host of unsolvable problems.

The solution to the downtown problem is either legalization or bulldozers. Create a new downtown elsewhere, but put it on private property so security guards can throw people off the property that are hassling their patrons. The current downtown is public access which means you can't forbid anyone for being there and bothering people who just want to be left alone to do their business.

"Provincal cops please. R.C.M.P are a disgrace." Give me a break. If you can not back your statement up with statistics, then don't make such a far reaching declaration.

Junco been living under a rock I can see. I mean how dare you say that. Wow how dumb can you get.

If you think that having a local police force will elimate public complaints, you're living in a dream world.

And yes, $75K a year is not enough for what they have to put up with, not to mention risking your life. Even if it's $100K with overtime, it's still not enough.

I must say, ski50, you make some good points. I always used to be against legalization of drugs, but the more I have read about it lately, it seems like it would eliminate a lot of problems. Legalize it and tax it to pay for the increase in resulting health care issues and to pay for a marketing campaign to encourage people not to use drugs. I think that would be much better than having an underground crime syndicate controlling everything.

I have no problem paying a RCMP member whatever they are worth,it's a dangerous job that should definitely be paid well.But if Prince George is being used to train officers to go to different locales across Canada,why are we being asked to pay the whole cost of their training?Shouldn't the rest of the country have to pay at least part of the cost?

Maybe I'm wrong and we are no longer a training city for the RCMP,if I am then I stand corrected.

I just don't get it. With all the bad things that have happened you people still want them policing us. How many more people have to die before we send the GRC packing. To want statistics is just an insult. They can't be trusted the whole country knows this now. What else do you people need to see. Maybe one of your family gets tasered to death or shot in the head. Be a different story then wouldn't. I think this neo con thinking has done nothing to help Canada in any way and the quicker we get rid of them the better. To bad we have to see these 60 something gen to kick off to get anything done. But what ever eh. O Canada.

The average RCMP gets paid enough. This business that thier job is dangerous doesnt stand up under scrutiny. There are more loggers and truck drivers killed every year than there are Police.

The Prince George RCMP number 128. for a City of Prince George this is more than sufficient. In additon they have 50 support staff. and 3 full time staff and volunteers in community policing. The City pays I beleive 85% of the cost of the RCMP in Prince George and the Provincial Government the balance.

The Regional District RCMP at 5th and Ospika are paid for primarily by the Provincial Government and are responsible for areas outside the City Ie; Regional Districts.

The downtown seems a lot quieter in the last few weeks. A lot less people standing around on the street corners, and less hookers, and drunks. Im sure this is a result of more police patrols, and more places where the homeless can live. ie; 17th and Queensway, and the Old Astoria Hotel. Also the fact that the PG Hotel has closed down. Closest liquor store would now be Redwood Square. New Superintendent of Police could have a lot to do with it also.

There are a number of projects planned for the downtown, and I expect things will continue to improve. (One can hope)

Its good to see they didnt hire anymore police. This is a first step in reducing costs.

Has anyone seen the building on 22nd ave., I was so shocked when I first seen it, I had to drive around for a second look. I remember when I first seen the renegades clubhouse from the outside way back when, a second go around wasn't necessary. Did we suddenly become the most crime ridden city in BC, I would have to assume these are the new digs of the recently created special police unit. With a solid fence and gate which stands maybe 15ft high, and the only way in is with code for the keypad outside the gate, seems to make sense.Does anyone know for sure. I dare anyone to try to jump over the fence to find out.

There are a great deal of fine, upstanding
people serving the public as RCMP. To make sweeping statements that tarnish the organization as a whole and all of the people that are part of it, is reckless and ignorant. The people that choose to go into policing will be the same whether they are city police or RCMP. To think or say otherwise is ludicrous.

Junco would you admit that you are a RCMP. Because it sure sounds like it. Sounds like damage control to me.

We have a "first"n Opinion 250.

Mayor Dan Rogers has actually made a good decision!

Chris, you sound like a gang member.

If some people didn't notice, for a city 'this size', we have a high crime rate, which explains the number of officers. We also have an organized crime problem, which explains the building on 22nd Avenue.

Did everyone just move into town?

I'm with Junco on this one. I'm sick of the RCMP bashing. Get over it. They do a great job. I've always supported them and I will continue to. A sad thing that some people can't. It's a crime to break the law. Plain and simple. Obey the rules and live a simple life. Funny how that works eh?

There are too many assumptions here that are not based on fact.

1. More police does not mean less crime. There is a limit that is eventually reached where the added cost does not provide an additional return. I suspect we reached that some time ago. Let's see some real facts on that.

2. More pay for police does not mean better police. Better organized police generally means better policing. How well is our detachment organized compared to Abbotsford for instance?

3. Most provinces do not use the RCMP as their police force. Is there something they know that we do not know?

4. If downtown were to become another suburb, crime would not disappear from the city. Most crime occurs in other parts of the city.

Here are the crime stats from the city of Abbotsford. Where can I find the same stats and other information about "our" police departmenty in PG? http://abbypd.ca/files/File/Statistics/2009/2009-Year-End-Statstics.pdf

MrPG I'm no gang member and I still think the RCMP are rotten to the core so what ever.

A little more policing downtown and a little less effort in trying to generate revenue through traffic violations might be appropriate.
The other option is to make downtown a gated community so the addicts, gang members, and panhandlers can't get out. There are certainly not any good reasons to go downtown unless you are a pawn shop cruiser.

As I said. Things seem to be better downtown. Is this a trend????

Insofar as Provincial Police go, BC had Provincial Police until 1950 then they were disbanded, and most of them went into the RCMP who were contracted to Police the Province.

I seem to remember that the Provincial Police were gotten rid of because of corruption, but I could be wrong.

How many Members were sent to Vancouver for the Games??? We should decrease the size of the force in Prince George by the same amount as the Members that were sent to the games, As Prince George does not seem to need these members. And the Games should reimburse Prince George for their wages. Just a thought.

The RCMP is pathologically top-heavy. Their current recruitment ad notes "150 specialty units." Most are useless; each new one results in wage bumps for parasitic supervisors. Some Canadian unit commanders rake in over $300,000 per year. Suit and briefcase is standard equipment at the increasingly 9-5 playpens, that pose as public safety entities. See this story on escalating Canadian police costs.
http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2010/02/01/12692146.html

Unfortunately, the Free Press writer didn't take a look at unionized policing in larger US cities. In fact, the Los Angeles Police Protective League presents the wage-pension model that Canadian unionists strive for. Most Los Angeles cops earn over $100,000 per year, and unions have extorted pensions equal to 90% of their highest wage taken in 25 years of service. Recently, it came out that one retired Chief of Police was receiving $500,000 per year in pension benefits. While our unionists force a coverup of what they get, it was known that for decades, RCMP members received pensions equalling 2% per year worked (up to 50% of their highest 6 year average).

Canadians are paying for junk.

"How many Members were sent to Vancouver for the Games..."

FYI....The RCMP did not allow anyone to take vacation or leave durring the Olympics, the number of people that PG sent to the Olympics were no more then would typically be away due to vacation time or leave. So to recomend that the local force be reduced by that number of people sent is to recomend that the local police never be allowed to vacation again.

I am not a police officer, this information has been printed several times, but of course if people cann't complain about it, they don't remember it.

I

it seems that the debate over extending the staffing of Prince George's RCMP detachment has become a debate over the continuance of the RCMP contract in this province. One poster asked about the old BCPP force which was disbanded in 1950. He/she stated that the force may have been "gotten rid of because of corruption" but admitted they may have been wrong.

Though there had been problems with corruption and (particularly) political interference in the BCPP, the force was a thoroughly professional and well-regarded police organization by the time of its demise. The last major scandal with the Provincials involved no actual police officers but civilian purchasers (political apointees) in the mid-1940s.

So the province of B.C. makes it through the Depression and World War II without needing federal assistance with its policing mandate and, with the population and economy growing, the government decided to make what was a surprise decision to bring in the RCMP. Why?

Unfortunately, the Provincials were axed for reasons of political expediency due to the instability of the then-coalition government of Provincial Grits and Tories. Of the 500 officers in the BCPP, 492 transferred over to the RCMP.

Though the federal money helped keep the provincial Conservatives on side in the short-run, the governing coalition fell apart prior to the 1952 general election.

Thus ends the history lesson, check out Wikopedia's entry on the Provincials for more details.

FreedomFirst, if you think the RCMP is top heavy here in BC, you should visit Ottawa. There are so many white shirt inspectors walking around there with their respective thumbs up their a**es who are just filling up air who do not do a single policing duty.