Oliver faces growing pains when it comes to policing

As town’s population grows, taxpayers will have to pay more to Mounties

OLIVER — Members of Oliver council heard the harsh reality of how policing costs are expected to increase substantially once the town’s population officially exceeds 5,000 in the next three years.

Municipal leaders have already started putting aside large amounts of money to pay for massive increases in policing costs once the town’s population exceeds 5,000 residents.

The newly elected council heard details at Monday’s regular meeting of how annual costs will more than double starting in 2022 once the next federal census, as expected, indicates the town’s population is above 5,000.

The most-recent census in 2016 indicated the town’s population was just under the 5,000 threshold.

Under provincial statute, municipalities using RCMP services will see their share of policing costs increase from 70 percent from the current 30 percent.

The ministry has taken the initiative to provide and information package to towns in this situation, such as Oliver, said Gayle Armstrong, a representative from the police services division with the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General.

The vast majority of rural communities in B.C. sign contracts with the RCMP, but they do have the option of forming their own police service by themselves or with adjacent communities, but they are then on the hook for 100 percent of costs, said Armstrong.

Up the road in Osoyoos, that town last year saw its annual policing costs increase from roughly $370,000 to more than $900,000 annually after its population officially exceeded 5,000.

Oliver council voted last year to approve a nine percent tax hike over the next five years, with a large chunk of that set aside to pay for the anticipated increase in policing costs.

In Oliver, local taxpayers paid roughly $291,000 to pay for local police services, Armstrong said.

Council has the option of continuing its agreement with the RCMP, forming its own municipal police force or signing a joint agreement with an adjacent community for RCMP services, similar to one that was in place for many years in Osoyoos and Oliver, she said.

Once a municipal police unit agreement is signed with municipalities with populations between 5,000 and 15,000, the town is responsible to pay 70 percent of all front-line costs, including salaries and benefits for officers, detachment space and all costs related to support staff.

The provincial Police Act details minimum requirements for each municipality to provide what it considers adequate policing services within each rural community, she said.

This includes adequate detachment and retention (jail cells) facilities, equipment, supplies and support staff.

Municipalities are also on the hook for 100 percent of costs related to “major crime” investigations such as detailed complicated homicide cases and gang-related crime, she said.

Most municipalities choose to hire their own support staff to work in RCMP detachments, she said. “They are then an employee of the town,” she said. The current RCMP detachment in Oliver is owned by the federal government and will have the option of signing a contract with the RCMP to share the costs associated with operating that facility with the federal government, she said.

Mayor Martin Johansen said he would like more detailed information long before the 2021 census takes place.

“It would be nice to get started on that sooner than later in consideration that we’re right on the edge and most likely to go over (5,000 population),” he said.

Armstrong said using data from 2018 and 2019 probably isn’t useful as those figures will change dramatically heading into 2022 when Oliver taxpayers will be on the hook for increased policing costs.

Ministry staff is more than willing to help local leaders look at policing costs with other B.C. municipalities that have exceeded the 5,000 threshold recently and the impact it has had on costs, she said.

Johansen said the town has started putting aside substantial funds to pay for increased policing costs, adding “it would be nice to have even a soft number” to better plan for 2022.