After months of kicking and screaming and making as much noise as possible, the City of Richmond has reluctantly signed the 20-year RCMP contract.
The news comes as no surprise after several rebel cities indicated last week they, too, would be inking the deal under duress before the June 30 deadline.
The city had been holding out on signing after demanding answers to a series of concerns it had with the contract.
However, with the deal now sealed, those questions remain unanswered.
Richmond City Council is caught in a very difficult position, Mayor Malcolm Brodie said in press release issued Tuesday morning.
There is the looming deadline and notice of significant financial penalties if the agreement remains unsigned.
However, there remain many important unanswered questions about related costs if the contract is signed. Unfortunately, there is little chance for effective civic input over the 20-year contractual term.
The contract is of significant importance as Richmonds RCMP policing budget represents the Citys largest single operational cost, Brodie added.
Following a recent meeting between Brodie and the Shirley Bond, the provincial Minister of Justice and Attorney General earlier in June, the contract is being signed on the understanding that several specific items will be addressed by the Province.
These include:
* Limiting the citys financial liability in regards to the RCMP new Green Timbers headquarters, as well as retroactive pay increases and severance entitlements;
* Defining the costs of the Lower Mainland integrated teams; and
* Committing to a process for resolving future disputes in a manner that assures meaningful municipal input.
Our concerns with the 20-year RCMP contract have nothing to do with the effectiveness of the local RCMP detachment which provides commendable service, said Brodie.
Our concerns are with the overall administration of the RCMP contract over the extended term.
Despite signing the deal, the cities that had been holding out such as Richmond, Burnaby and Coquitlam still have an option to invoke a two-year get-out clause, after which they can operate their own policing model.
Richmond said it has already agreed to join other Metro Vancouver municipalities in a study to consider other models for policing, including both regional and sub-regional policing as well as a separate municipal force.
