For Richmond residents, twenty cents of every tax dollar they pay the city goes towards paying the RCMP. Now, city council is asking for public input over whether or not to replace the Mounties and adopt an independent municipal police force.
The city’s mayor admits it’s a conversation that’s been going on for years.
“What I want to know is what people think of making a change and if they’re prepared to make a change, are they willing to pay the cost of making that change,” said Malcolm Brodie.
The city pays $41.5 million every year for the RCMP’s services. Making the switch to an independent municipal force would cost about two to four million dollars more, along with a one-time transition cost of $19.6 million.
However, Brodie said money is only one factor in a longer list of concerns that resurfaced once the province renewed its contract with the Ottawa-based police force.
“Transparency, accountability, adherence to local priorities, cost control is always a big one,” said Brodie.
The Mayor also points to Green Timbers, the massive RCMP headquarters in Surrey, as just one example of how decisions made in Ottawa impact provinces and municipalities, but he said they have little say in how those decisions are made.
“They built this huge building for many hundreds of millions of dollars without any firm knowledge of who was going in there and who was going to pay for it and how they were going to pay for it, and that issue remains outstanding today,” said Brodie.
For residents, the switch would come at a cost of a two to three per cent increase in property taxes.
Many are still weighing the options.
“I’d like to see a regional police force. I think the idea of going to a community policing is just short-term,” said Ken McLennan.
People in Richmond have until the end of February to fill out the online survey.
If they decide to make the switch, the province still has to sign off on it.
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