Dear Editor,
I am confused; I understand that Richmond City Council is seeking to start their own police department. They conservatively estimated the start-up cost to be $20 million.
I know that they would be giving up a 10 per cent subsidy of all policing costs from Ottawa.
I know that without that subsidy, and with the wage difference between a municipal first class constable and an RCMP first class constable, we will pay about $17,000 more per year for each constable.
I know under the city’s plan, Richmond would pay for things such as attraction and selection; presently, the federal government covers that cost.
Local police pay about $5,500 per member successfully recruited. OK, so we know it will be expensive, but council says we can afford it and need the protection. Yet, when the RCMP ask for funds to hire a few more members to give us better protection, council says the money is not there!
Does the RCMP need to do more with less because we do not have the money or is council setting them up to look bad in the future?
In any case, the people of Richmond deserve protection not games. If we have the money council claims we have, we should support the request of the RCMP and increase the strength of the detachment.
I am sure council must have noticed the population in Richmond is growing which puts more pressure on all the emergency services.
Scott Stewart
Richmond
