RCMP to Get Dollars for Officers

Wednesday, February 28, 2007 05:41 PM

The Prince George RCMP Detachment will be increasing its roster.

The request was for $236,196 dollars this year to hire 4 new RCMP officers, it was the single largest amount on the service enhancements requests put before Prince George City Council. The four officers would be used in the crime reduction strategies, specifically auto theft and break and enters.

Councillor Brian Skakun supported this full funding saying officers are often tied up in courts, and anything that will increase public safety should be supported. Skakun's comments were echoed by Councillor Glenn Scott who said "We have to look to the safety of the citizens of Prince George".

That amount would increase to $472,392 next year when the officers draw a full year’s salary. The extra expenditure adds nearly 1/2 a percentage point to the tax increase which means the average homeowner can expect this one item to add about $5.00 to their tax bill this year, a little more than $10 dollars next year.

In supporting an increase of 4 officers Councillor Murry Krause said community protection is a priority "We are asking them to do more every year, so I will support the addition of 4 officers."

Councillors Sherry Sethen and Don Zurowski both agree with an increase in the staffing, however, they would only support 2 new officers, not 4. Sethen's ammendment calling for an increase of only 2 members, was defeated.

Last year the RCMP detachment was given approval for 2 regular officers, 1 civilian, and 2 municipal support. The current roster has 117 members.

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Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 05:41 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Palopu on February 28 2007 9:04 PM

For anyone who is interested we now have the dubious honor of having more police per capita than, Nanaimo, Kamloops, Chilliwack, Kelowna, and a number of other Cities. In addition our case burden is lower and our Total Criminal Code Offences are less than these Cities.

This information is available on the web if you put in British Columbia Municipal Police Foreces Cost Report 2005. 2006 not available yet.

In addition lets not forget that we released 3 Police Officers from the Community Policing Program back to the ranks, and replaced these Constables with 3 civilian positions at a cost of approx $80,000 per year per employee, for a net increase in costs of $240,000.00.

This is another example of money being spent with little or no in depth examination of whether or not it is actually needed.

With the population remaining static for the past 10 years, one would assume that we are getting a handle on crime. To suggest that we are asking the police to do more every year may or may not be true, however I suspect that by now the Police know every criminal in the town by their first name.

Why is it necessary for us to spend more money on everthing we do than any other City on a per capita basis in BC and maybe Canada.

Are we so **Back Woodish** that we just cant get it right?????

Posted by: acrider54 on March 1 2007 6:28 AM

More taxes Yee ha! And the extra officers can put even more money into the city coffers.

Posted by: thereasonableman on March 1 2007 2:31 PM

What it means is that they intend to do nothing for "those without" except hold them off at gunpoint. We would fare much better in attacking our social problems from other avenues, most crimes have a causal relationship with societal failures.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on March 2 2007 10:31 AM

Unfortunately,all the new police officers in world won't solve a thing unless something is done to tune up our courts and judges.While I do respect the judiciary in general,getting tough is the only solutuion.
The mystery is just what do these judges think they are accomplishing with the revolving door method of dealing with these slimeballs? What is it they think they are doing? Why do they think that putting them back on the street will make them change their ways? Any cop will tell you they deal with the same people over and over!So do the judges,and yet they still won't hit them hard enough.I feel sorry for the police that have to try and do their jobs with the attitude they have to deal with in the court room!It really is truly bizarre!

Posted by: thereasonableman on March 2 2007 11:59 AM

A very simplistic solution to a very complex problem. The cops want them to be pounded hard and then pout when they don't get their way.

We been there already, tried that, didn't work.

Once upon a time, people were hung for cattle rustling, and guess what ? People still rustled cattle. In some countries, people still have body parts amputated for stealing, and guess what ? Some people are back for the second or third amputation...running out of parts to amputate.

Every cockamaimie idea you can come up with off the top of your head, has been tried by the system already and has failed miserably.

The focus needs to be on the only solution that has shown any promise of being effective: programming, training, rehabilitation, even brainwashing if you want to go so far as to call it that.

How did Farmer Joe from Saskabush get to the point of buying into the RCMP's values, directives, way of life, etc. and develop the "cop attitude" ?

He wasn't born into it. He was brainwashed into it. Point made.