The mental and physical wellbeing of police officers will be at risk if the department is forced to make cuts to its proposed 2025 budget, the Victoria City Police Union says.
In a statement this week, the union said inadequate funding is hurting officers and compromising their ability to serve the public effectively.
The union said it’s seeing officers burning out, morale declining and increased levels of stress as a result of the workload.
“Without the necessary resources, we can’t properly staff our patrol shifts without impacting other vital areas of the department, including investigative units,” said union president Angela Van Eerd. “We’ve been asked to continually restructure and redeploy the resources we have, but these stopgap measures are not sustainable. We need proper funding and staffing to fulfill our core duties.”
The City of Victoria has asked the Victoria Esquimalt Police Board to look for cuts to the police budget as it grapples with a potential 12.17 per cent increase to property taxes in 2025 — the largest hike in Victoria in more than 10 years.
Council has tasked its staff to come up with a budget that would result in a tax increase of four to seven per cent. Those options are expected to come to council Dec. 12.
Elizabeth Cull, the police board’s finance committee chair, has already warned that jobs will be lost and community safety could be compromised if the board is required to cut more than $2 million from its 2025 budget.
Cull noted council has asked for more police visibility downtown, increased bike and foot patrols, more community outreach and making traffic enforcement a priority, all of which requires resources.
Police are seeking $79.14 million this year, up $7 million from last year. Victoria’s share of that budget would be $68.3 million, with Esquimalt paying the balance.
According to the police board, 97 per cent of the proposed 2025 budget is committed to maintaining current service levels, about 1.5 per cent for capital expenditures and the balance for new resources.
The board is requesting about $925,000 in new funding — $800,000 from Victoria and the balance from Esquimalt — to cover the cost of four new police officers and three new civilian staff.
The union wants the city to prioritize adequate funding for the police department, so officers can meet the demands of a rapidly growing city.
It also questioned some of the city’s recent spending – like $1.8 million for a new homeless facility in the North Park neighbourhood, $6.7 million towards redesigning Centennial Square, $3.95 million for Hermann’s Jazz Club and $11 million for new parks on Blanshard Street.
“While we understand the importance of various community projects, we cannot overlook the immediate and pressing need for increased policing resources,” Van Eerd said. “A thriving downtown core depends on residents, workers, and businesses feeling safe. Without that, we risk undermining the very foundation of the City of Gardens, which is rapidly becoming the City of Fences.”
This year’s draft budget includes a $365.6-million operating budget and a $94.6-million capital budget. If it’s adopted next spring, the typical residential property could face a $376 property-tax increase and a typical business could see a $1,000 increase.
