Mayor concerned about police funding increases; chief says change requires funding

EDMONTON -

With a $12 million proposed increase to the Edmonton Police Service's budget next year, Mayor Amarjeet Sohi says nearly 22 cents of every tax dollar collected goes to the service.

For the last three years, the police budget has increased while other departments and programs needed to adjust to less funding. Sohi believes that is a problem, but the police chief argues additional funding is necessary so changes the community asked for can be brought forward.

The annual increase to the police service was approved by city council in 2018, as the city planned its four-year operating budget cycle.

Back then, EPS was set to receive a funding bump of $18.2 million in 2021 and another $17.4 million in 2022.

Over the summer of 2020, council held multiple public hearings on the level of funding police receive and violence. In the end, council decided to stop $11 million in funding over two years.

The proposed annual operating budget for the EPS would be about $395.8 million next year.

"Police is not getting less, and police never got less money, even in 2021, police got more money than any of the other civic departments," Sohi said.

FUNDING REQUIRED TO MAKE CHANGE

EPS Chief Dale McFee says those hearings inspired a shift in how the department conducts policing.

"This is the kind of police work the community has asked for and receives with the kind of investment they and you make in EPS," McFee said. "New ideas, innovative approach, and better human-centred solutions."

McFee asked council to honour the initially planned increase for next year, then look at cuts from 2023 onward.

"Stopping midstream has the ability to undo everything we've done and go in the other direction," he added. "This city can't afford to go in the other direction anymore."

The police chief added that more than 30 different initiatives have been started since last summer's hearings to ensure the service adapts.

"I'm here telling you if we take any more losses, the next question is what gets delayed or what gets stopped entirely," McFee said.

"We've lost a lot of our flexibility, and now if we have to go further, we have to look at some service delivery changes."

HOW BEST TO TACKLE SOCIAL ISSUES?

Sohi says he is concerned that almost 22 cents of every taxpayer dollar are going solely to police.

"If policing costs continue to rise as they've been over the last few years, we will not be able to fund other very important functions in the city," the mayor said.

"We do have serious challenges. I just cannot justify telling other areas of the city that they continue to take a cut."

Trent Daley is a member of the city's anti-racism advisory committee and believes council should give grants to groups on the ground connecting and helping communities in Edmonton.

"They are a greater asset to community safety than any EPS initiative attempting to copy or reinvent the wheel," Daley said.

"Community safety isn't framed on whether things are hard or easy for EPS," he added. "Community safety is framed around whether things are safe for our community. For the people in this community."

Sohi believes EPS is making positive changes and that crime, addiction, and poverty are serious issues.

"(But) are policing resources the best way to tackle those issues," Sohi asked. "Or should we be investing in preventative services?"

During the EPS budget presentation on Wednesday, McFee complimented Sohi for speaking to stakeholders about community safety issues.

When reached for clarification about what McFee meant, Sohi's communications manager Lindsay Harvey told CTV News Edmonton that the chief referred to meetings with several provincial cabinet ministers that were "proactive" and built "collaborative working relationships."

"In these discussions, the topics of community safety and tackling issues of homelessness, mental health and addiction were addressed," Harvey said. "They also discussed how they impact safety as well as the cost of policing, the justice system, and healthcare."

Council will start voting on proposed changes to EPS funding and the city's operating budget on Friday.