Dear Editor,
Re: “Mayor missing out policing facts,” Letters, Feb. 26.
The future of Richmond’s policing policy remains unresolved.
Three compelling considerations include – accountability, effectiveness and cost.
Currently, accountability remains in the hands of Ottawa based officials and fails to meet the necessity of local accountability (suspensions with pay, training, transfers, E Division Headquarters costs, etc.).
Effective performance results can be compromised (investigations, prosecutions) by poor retention rates, transfers, force morale, unresolved abuse/harassment allegations (RCMP) related to distant human resource management, training and ineffective accountability.
Why are the RCMP incapable of investigating their own members effectively?
In terms of cost, why have a separate police chief and associated support management staff in each regional municipality?
Why not have a borderless regional police force serving the entire region incorporating the existing TransLink policing function?
What is the annual cost of police witness attendance for duplicate court proceedings (necessitated by multiple jurisdictions) resulting from the existing multi border jurisdictions?
Surely, the loss of useful police patrol availability due to court obligations requires more officers (more taxation) or reduced public services.
The current choices provided for Richmond policing fall short of the medium and long term solution.
May I suggest the first choice — transition to a regional police force.
Second choice — amalgamation with one or more bordering police forces (Delta, New Westminster and Vancouver).
Third choice — continued RCMP reliance.
And a distant fourth choice — a new Richmond police force (more expensive and future structure uncertainty).
Many examples of single police forces serving much larger cities and areas (Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto) exist.
They incorporate homicide, drug, gang investigations, etc. within those forces without the existing cumbersome multi-jurisdictional complexities of the GVRD.
The choice for Richmond — a new regional force or a transition toward that goal by joining forces with one or more bordering municipalities with the ultimate goal (regional force) in the future with minimal reorganization costs as more communities join.
The region needs and requires decisive and rational leadership in defining and serving regional needs beyond municipal bounds.
Good luck all.
Ken McLennan
Richmond
