Regina city council voted 7-4 late Wednesday afternoon to approve the proposed 2022 budget for the Regina Police Service (RPS).
Councillors Bob Hawkins, John Findura, Jason Mancinelli, Lori Bresciani, Landon Mohl, Terina Shaw and Mayor Sandra Masters all voted in favour of the police operating and capital budget.
Councillors Andrew Stevens, Dan LeBlanc, Cheryl Stadnichuk and Shanon Zachidniak voted against it.
The budget sets out an increase of approximately $3.5 million in 2022 with a net operating budget of just under $92.8 million.
The proposal brought to city council from RPS included estimates for operating expenditures of under $103.7 million and revenues of over $10.8 million.
Council also amended the police force’s 2022 capital budget during Wednesday’s meeting at city hall from nearly $4.9 million to over $4.6 million with an additional $548,000 in funding by Saskatchewan Government Insurance and the provincial government. The SGI and government funding was initially set at $248,000 before the amended motion.
Part of the budget ask includes 16 new police officer positions, seven more civilian positions and another deputy chief.
RPS police chief Evan Bray discussed at Wednesday’s meeting that the additional roles will allow for better resource management, allow the police service to have a better handle on the rising number of calls in the city and provide more support at a time where he has seen members of his police service be overworked and experience burnout.
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One of the major topics during Wednesday’s discussions revolved around RPS wanting to establish an aerial support team, which includes the purchase of an airplane.
Bray said the cost of the plane is about $1.2 million with a large amount allocated towards outfitting the aircraft with proper software and instruments.
Police say the capital ask would be zero dollars thanks to funding from SGI, Civil Forfeiture plus additional funding from 2019.
However, the request by RPS to city council was for $250,000 to fund the aerial unit’s operations.
It was noted how the plane and aerial team would support investigations such as finding suspects or helping locate missing individuals.
He called it a very positive step for the city.
“The plane isn’t going to make the arrest. Canine is going to make the arrest or police officers are going to make the arrest,” Bray explained.
“The plane is going to help safely direct those resources there. Also when the plane is in the air, they often don’t have to use force.”
About six officers would make up the aerial squad. Bray said if they were not needed in the air, then the officers could be used to patrol or perform other police tasks.
Bray anticipates the aerial support unit would not be ready to go until the second half of 2022.
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