Budget set to increase
Although the numbers run counter to the direction Niagara Regional council has been on for years, police services board chair Bob Gale doesn’t think he will have to fight local politicians to approve the new, bigger police budget.
“I don’t think I will have to because (Chief Bryan MacCulloch) can sell it,” said Gale of the $143.5 million Niagara Regional Police 2018 operating budget passed by the board Thursday morning. “I think he can sell it, and I will be right there with him.”
The budget represents a 4.5 per cent increase over the 2017 budget and is driven largely by an arbitrated contract settlement with frontline officers earlier this year.
In July, the police board followed the path of regional council, passing a motion to try and keep the budget increase to no more than two per cent. At the time, former police chief Jeff McGuire warned such a task was impossible.
He said given the contract settlement and other legislated police responsibilities, the 2018 budget would rise by at least 5.5 per cent unless the service was willing to engage in job cuts.
In an interview Thursday afternoon, MacCulloch said 86 per cent of the NRP budget is consumed by personnel costs, making budgeting a challenge.
He said in order to keep costs down, the service has deferred spending on several programs. For instance, he said the service has reduced spending on police vehicles by $100,000.
However, he said the reduced spending hasn’t resulted in the shut down of any programs or investigative departments of the service.
“That was very important to us,” said MacCulloch. “It was important that we maintain the continuity of our programs.”
Gale said despite the July motion to aim for a two per cent increase, early budget projects suggested an increase of anywhere from five per cent to seven per cent.
“I am not taking any credit for this. This was all (MacCulloch). He did an amazing job in finding ways to bring that budget growth down,” Gale said. “I told him today that he and his team should be proud.”
Gale and MacCulloch said part of the 2018 budget is designed to try and keep NRP overtime costs down.
Whenever there is a major investigation like a homicide or other incidents that require a significant police presence, the service usually incurs overtime costs. Overtime is also exacerbated when officers are injured or, in the case of those facing disciplinary action or criminal charges, are placed on administrative leave because other officers have to fill the void.
However, the total number of uniformed officers on Niagara streets has declined from 348 officers in 2010 to 316 in 2017, according to NRP budget documents. During that time, calls for service has risen — although the overall crime rate has not spiked — and the NRP is required by law to provide a standard of adequate policing.
So in an attempt to limit overtime, the service is boosting the number of front-line officers by 16. MacCulloch said eight of those officers are being redeployed from administrative functions which will be taken over by civilian staff. The other eight will be newly hired officers.
With more officers on the road, the hope is the need for overtime will be reduced, MacCulloch said.
Gale hopes the increased 2018 budget will prevent the service from running another deficit.
In 2016, board members passed a budget with a zero per cent increase. But, according to a February 2017 board financial report, the NRP had a deficit of $3.3 million arising out of the 2016 budget.
In the fall, in a bid to reduce costs, the service implemented a spending freeze, limiting expenses to those items that were “operationally essential.”
The service covered the deficit by using money from its reserve funds. The board’s $137.3-million 2017 budget puts $2.8 million into the reserve to replace money used to cover the deficit.
The arbitrated agreement with front line officers is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2016 and gives uniformed officers pay raises for the next four years.
The first retroactive raise for 2016 totals 2.3 per cent with another two per cent this year. In 2018, police pay goes up another 1.9 per cent and then up again 1.95 per cent in 2019.
The agreement means that by 2019, a first-class constable — the highest rank of constable in the service — will earn $100,311 annually.
Gale expects the 2018 budget to be presented to regional council on Nov. 23.
Council can approve the NRP budget, or send it back to the service for adjustments.