The St. Albert RCMP could end up increasingly with one less supervisor because of council's irritation over its budgeting practices, a feeling that was plainly evident during budget deliberations Thursday night.
Though former commander Warren Dosko appeared to help present the budget for policing only days after officially ending his tenure as detachment commander, neither the mayor nor some members of council could hide their disapproval of how the RCMP assesses its needs when it comes to manpower.
As a result, Coun. Wes Broadhead, acknowledging what he was doing felt "un-Canadian," put forward a motion to reduce RCMP funding by $59,000 in 2012 and $120,000 in 2013-14.
His motion targets the funded business case of hiring two new sergeants for the detachment, both of whom would serve in a supervisory capacity to bring the detachment up to the RCMP's oversight standard. The cost for both totals $119,000 in 2012 and $245,000 in 2013 and 2014.
"I support them and want them to do the job but police, just like everybody else, need to be fiscally responsible going forward, and I'm not saying they aren't," Brodhead said in a later interview. "It's not an extra boot on the street."
Under questioning by council, Dosko admitted the city had implicitly committed to hiring both supervisors when it approved the hiring of four new constables in 2011.
"I called their approach into question. I'll be watching next year," said Brodhead.
Budgeting practices
The real source of irritation, however, is the ongoing practice by the RCMP and Community and Protective Services of budgeting for fewer members than the force wants to hire.
At present, the detachment has a budget for 55 members but is proposing an increase to 57. Municipal Enforcement duplicated the same practice, budgeting for 37 members but asking for 39.
Dosko tried to explain factors such as sick time, maternity and transfers all affect the total number of officers available at any given time, meaning that the detachment is seldom fully staffed, which is why they typically ask for more. Acting city manager Chris Jardine admitted there was a risk of going over-budget by doing so, but acknowledged it was a risk the department decided to take.
Both at the meeting and in a follow-up interview, Mayor Nolan Crouse could not conceal his anger over the practice.
"I just think that's an unacceptable business practice," Crouse said. "Plan for 55, ask for 55, demand 55. Instead it's always budget lower than we ask and ask higher than we budget and deliver less than what we ask."
Crouse said he had already visited the accounting department Friday morning and asked them to revisit the police budget to bring the number of officers in line with the budget without raising taxes and bring it back before committee of the whole before budget deliberations end.
"If we end up getting approval on [this business case], I will spend some time on this."
The police budget also includes funded requests for a crime analyst, a Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) co-ordinator and another portable photo radar unit.
Jardine explained the city has benefited greatly from having a crime analyst, but that the provincial grant funding the position has expired and the city should now fund it. The CPIC co-ordinator would be responsible for maintaining the integrity of the data entered into the sprawling police database as no one currently does so locally.
The portable photo radar unit will be funded from the speed-on-green reserve.
