Since 2022, local governments have been meeting with the provincial government as part of a Police Act and public safety review through the UBCM-PSSG Local Government Policing Modernization Roundtable. The review is directly related to the final report of the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act which, following consultation with local governments, First Nations and other key stakeholders, delivered 11 recommendations to modernize policing and public safety in BC. Phase two of the Province’s review included issues prioritized by local governments, outlined in this article.
Phase one of the Province’s Police Act and public safety review, also known as the Policing and Public Safety Modernization Initiative, focused on provincial priorities, and culminated in a series of targeted legislative amendments. In 2024, the Province began phase two which included broader discussions regarding issues of importance to a variety of stakeholders, including local governments. These discussions were policy-focused, and in some cases included consideration of policy options. The second phase has now concluded, and Cabinet is presently considering the future direction of this initiative.
While the Roundtable’s discussions are subject to a confidentiality agreement, the following summary of its position on key public safety issues (consistent with a previous submission) has been approved for the purpose of updating the membership.
Arguably the most important issue for the Roundtable has been the cost of policing, and the associated funding framework. The Roundtable has urged the Province to consider options for a more equitable funding model, consistent with a recommendation made by the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act. The Roundtable has examined options to address the financial burden faced by local governments as they surpass the 5,000-person population threshold, options to amend the Police Tax, and the cost of policing in urban communities compared to surrounding rural and unincorporated areas.
Another top priority has been to correct the download of responsibility to locally funded police to cover gaps in provincial services (e.g., healthcare, housing, complex social issues). The Roundtable has sought for greater provincial investment into a coordinated continuum of response to mental health, addictions and other complex social issues. However, discussions have largely focused on new tiers of policing, including the pros and cons of the new Community Safety Officer model and its ability to address priorities (e.g., reducing police officer workload). The Roundtable also discussed the cost of this model, and whether it should be covered by the Province if it is addressing the download to locally funded services.
The Roundtable remains adamant that it does not support a province-wide policing transition from the RCMP to a new provincial police service, due in part to the absence of evidence to justify such a significant endeavour. Instead, members have expressed a desire to focus on more pressing public safety issues, including priorities held by local governments. This position is consistent with the Roundtable’s perspective that data and business intelligence systems are not meeting the needs of internal and external users; and, that more robust data collection, interpretation and dissemination is required to assist in decision-making.
In addition to these priorities and positions, the Roundtable also identified a variety of governance, oversight and service delivery issues. These include, but were not limited to, the need to:
- Ensure that decision-making authority is not centralized within the Province, but that it rests with local elected officials;
- Improve police board accountability to communities, including through increasing the number of police board members that are appointed by local governments;
- Improve accountability of local RCMP detachments to communities; and
- Provide local governments with adequate opportunity to inform provincial policing priorities and oversee areas of importance (e.g., integrated teams, police training).
Provincial staff have assured the Roundtable that its positions, including those noted above, will be conveyed to the new Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Nina Krieger. Next steps, including any policy decisions, will be decided by Cabinet. The Roundtable has urged the Province to further examine many of these issues, in partnership with local governments, prior to the development of any legislative amendments.