THE cost of integrated RCMP teams is projected to rise sharply, as much as 34 per cent in some cases, according to an annual report presented to District of North Vancouver council Monday.
Councillors responded warily to the news. There are five such "I" teams in the Lower Mainland, said Chief Supt. Janice Armstrong: the Emergency Response Team, the Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service, the Integrated Forensic Identification Service, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, and Police Dog Services. Senior officers from each team joined her in council chambers.
"They provide that specialized support service for the front-line men and women working in the District of North Vancouver," Armstrong said. "The full breadth of experience of these teams will be brought to bear on whatever that file may be."
Assembling specialized teams made up of officers from around the region allows for better policing, continued Armstrong, as well as better staffing and shift coverage and better career streaming. Promoting a well trained officer within a team avoids losing his or her skill set.
"I am a supporter of the RCMP," said Coun. Mike Little, "but I always struggle with the black-box nature of the budgeting, where council doesn't have an opportunity to open up the books and take a look."
Looking at the numbers Armstrong circulated, Little said he had concerns.
"The ERT, 2010 to 2011, you project a 10.9 per cent (budget) increase. ICARS, six per cent increase, IFIS, 22 per cent increase, IHIT, 1.8 per cent increase and the dogs, 34 per cent increase. These are massive increases considering our community has very low crime and a decrease in the amount of violent crime.
"I've always had the sneaking suspicion," said Little, "that in the integrated teams, the outlying areas with low crime end up subsidizing Surrey."
Armstrong acknowledged that costs are rising, in part because the teams are still being brought up to full strength. The funding formula for each member municipality is based both on crime statistics and also population.
For example, the total cost of the ERT this year was $10,005,559, projected to rise to $11,342,954 next year. The District of North Vancouver paid $161,087 in 2011, rising to $178,675 next year.
"I would say it ebbs and flows," Armstrong said. "Sometimes it looks like a better deal for certain teams and worse for other teams. . . . You'll see year over year those numbers will fluctuate."
Coun. Doug MacKay-Dunn asked what sort of calls the ERT got in North Vancouver.
"Those would vary from rescuing a distraught man from the gondola on the side of the mountain, to high-risk tracks with police dog services after a crime, to working with the gang task force on surveillance, to a hostage situation, to witness protection," responded Armstrong.
She also said emergency response team officers conduct regular police work such as traffic stops between calls, lightening the workload for regular officers. Seven ERT officers live in North Vancouver and start their shifts on the North Shore, she said.
"I too was stunned by the cost increases," said Coun. Roger Bassam. "As you know we just came through a municipal election and the subject of the RCMP contract came up regularly and often with some fervour."
Bassam said cost containment and civilian oversight were the main issues he had heard on the campaign trail.
"I can't help but look at a 31 per cent increase in the overall budget," said Coun. Alan Nixon. "We're often held to the fire as to why we can't keep costs under control, and this is a prime example of why we can't.
"It represents 10 per cent of our entire policing budget."
Nixon asked if there were cost savings to be found at the detachment level to offset the price tag of the integrated teams.
North Vancouver's Insp. Chris Kennedy said the teams brought value to the detachment in several ways.
"We have seen benefits," he said. "For instance: we have IHIT come in and do an investigation. We assist . . . but we will soon be broken off.
"Whereas before, our GIS unit, probably the entire unit, 20 to 25 constables, would still remain on that file. Now, they are back doing their regular files. It's hard to measure, but you might get a file that requires attention but the homicide has to be the priority. By the time you get back to that file, you may miss the perishable evidence."
Kennedy also said having specially equipped and trained officers on hand provides more onthe-spot capacity and training opportunities. He recalled a recent incident where an ERT officer quickly donned a diving suit and rescued two people swimming in the harbour at night.
"You have to appreciate most of our members don't have the gear to go into the water," he said, adding that it would have taken about half an hour to get a boat on scene.
"We have much younger members who are out on the road and they get exposed to the risk of a weapon. They have the opportunity to have an ERT member show up like a big brother and say 'Here's what you have to do,' or 'We'll help you do this.'
"They have the opportunity to learn and watch highly trained officers demonstrate a tactical situation. It's a direct benefit, but I don't know how you measure that."
Mayor Richard Walton urged Armstrong to look at the issue from council's perspective.
"Any policing cost increase over about one per cent comes from either engineering or fire safety or whatever. Literally, if you want more, it comes out of your neighbour's pocket. When the police want more, we give up something else."
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