Policing costs will go under the microscope in a feasibility study given the go ahead from Vernon council. Mayor Wayne Lippert says the RCMP are doing a good job but they want to see the costs for the city to have its own force, or a separate contract with the RCMP. The city is currently under a regional detachment model. Lippert says any change would have an impact on the outlying communities. "If we had our own contract with the RCMP or a municipal force, then the province, regional district or District of Coldstream or somebody else would have to be concerned about putting up another building, RCMP station." Lippert says there's concerns the city has to carry the bulk of the costs to staff and maintain the Vernon detachment, despite other communities benefiting.
Councillor Bob Spiers says council's motion is not to look into its own police force at this point, adding the study will examine the costs of the current RCMP integrated force and how they are allocated to other local jurisdictions. "It's nothing to do with looking at an alternative to the RCMP."
The city says it pays up to 160,000 a year per RCMP officer, while the outlying areas pay up to $120,000
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