Police content with budget

Their ranks won’t swell to the numbers he needs, but Calgary Police Service chief Rick Hanson was still pleased with the province’s commitment to fund new officers to be on city streets by late fall.
Yesterday’s provincial budget, which announced funding for 41 new officers by late fall, with the potential for another 82 in the coming two years, added to the two officers to be provided from federal coffers, Calgary Police are still 275 short of their 400 man wish-list, said Calgary Police chief Rick Hanson.
“These people will be on the road, they’re going to be on the street, you’re going to see them,” he said adding that additional funding for mental illness and addictions treatment facilities will help police further address crime’s roots in Calgary.
Dennis Painchaud, chairman of the police commission was content with the provincial funding, but “hoped there would be a bit more for Calgary.”
Calgary Economic Development chief economist Andrew Legge said the Stelmach government missed some opportunities for bolder moves on the post-secondary education and savings fronts, but the province’s emergency services, including police, did come out of the budget fairly well.
“That’s an area we’ve under-invested in over the last while,” he said. “It’s all part of that quality of life everyone is looking for, there are some key catch-up investments there for sure, and certain things do get left out as a result, but I hope over time things start to get balanced out.”
-neil.mackinnon@metronews.ca