Dear Editor,
This is what Mayor Malcolm Brodie is not telling the residents of Richmond about a municipal police force:
Staffing and training of new RCMP members is paid for by the federal government and when they arrive in Richmond they are boots on the ground ready to go.
Not all presently stationed RCMP members will convert to a municipal police so these positions will have to be advertised nationally, meaning more cost.
Municipal police staffing and training will be paid by Richmond taxpayers.
The concern about longevity of RCMP members stationed in Richmond has been raised.
Recent statistics supplied by the RCMP advise that 39 per cent have been stationed in Richmond under five years; 46 per cent have five to 10 years; 11 per cent are at 10-15 years and 4 per cent of members have 15-20 years.
Richmond will lose its 10 per cent policing discount from the federal government if they implement a municipal police.
New municipal police forces will be unionized and tied to Vancouver City Police pay scale, which is one of the highest in Canada.
Approval for a municipal police must be authorized by the Province of British Columbia, which has said they would rather create one Lower Mainland police force instead of having many separate police forces.
Municipal police have two-man cars.
The RCMP has one man per car, so will we have to double the number of police in Richmond?
Richmond city council has already admitted that it will cost the taxpayers of Richmond more for a municipal police force.
All of this is to what avail and at whose expense? The Richmond tax payer?
Do you feel the mayor would be a suitable choice to head the police board?
Complete the online survey at Richmond.ca by scrolling to “Police Services Review.”
Complete this survey before Feb. 29.
Roger Phillippe
Richmond
