The federal government should pay a portion of the city’s policing costs for federal issues like port security and the international drug trade, Vancouver’s mayor and police chief said yesterday.
Neighbouring municipalities that contract their policing to RCMP receive a 10 per cent discount based on the presumption that a portion of the detachment’s time is spent enforcing federal laws.
If municipal police were funded at the same level, said Chief Const. Jim Chu, it would mean an additional $19 million for Vancouver, the equivalent of about 190 officers.
Mayor Sam Sullivan said 10 to 30 per cent of police costs are spent enforcing federal laws like cyber crime, drugs and patrolling the port.
