Kelowna's top cop did not leave City Council Chambers empty handed. During 2010 budget deliberations Thursday morning, Council approved six new members, along with an administrative NCO position. Superintendent Bill McKinnon had requested 21 new officers. The provision budget recommended none. Council also agreed to set up an independent safety review for the city, including all aspects of public safety, including RCMP resources required for the long term. "Yes, I am satisfied. To say otherwise would be a lie. I can live with what we got here today another year, but there is a plan for an independent study," says McKinnon. "I look forward to what that is going to say because I have looked at every community across the country, where policing levels are at, what the costs involved are, and I think the study will just prove what I have been saying and what I brought forward here today. We need extra officers and we need more staff clerically to deal with the workload that comes in."
McKinnon will receive four general duty officers to be spread among the four watches, a court liaison officer and an exhibit custodian along with one administrator. All of the positions come into effect April 1, 2010. The additional $515,000 cost will equate to an additional .57% increase to the 2010 taxes.
During a lengthy debate on policing services, McKinnon told council that realistically, he needs an additional 40 to 45 members to properly police the city. "I'm a realist. I don't expect to get 21 today but we are in trouble. We are taking on water and we can't do our job with what we have." McKinnon says he is concerned about the safety of his members as well as the safety of the general public. He says his members are burning out. "In 1999 we had 121 members. Here it is 10 years later, and I don't have to tell anybody about the growth of this community, and we only have 20 more officers. Three of those are dedicated to policing the airport, so that's just 17." McKinnon adds he'll be back before council next year looking for more policing resources.
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Don Quixote Note: http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/police_services/publications/
McKinnon will receive four general duty officers to be spread among the four watches, a court liaison officer and an exhibit custodian along with one administrator. All of the positions come into effect April 1, 2010. The additional $515,000 cost will equate to an additional .57% increase to the 2010 taxes.
During a lengthy debate on policing services, McKinnon told council that realistically, he needs an additional 40 to 45 members to properly police the city. "I'm a realist. I don't expect to get 21 today but we are in trouble. We are taking on water and we can't do our job with what we have." McKinnon says he is concerned about the safety of his members as well as the safety of the general public. He says his members are burning out. "In 1999 we had 121 members. Here it is 10 years later, and I don't have to tell anybody about the growth of this community, and we only have 20 more officers. Three of those are dedicated to policing the airport, so that's just 17." McKinnon adds he'll be back before council next year looking for more policing resources.
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Don Quixote Note: http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/police_services/publications/
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