The timing of a Statistics Canada report on police personnel in Canada couldn't come at a better time for Kelowna's top cop. The report, released Wednesday, shows the number of police officers employed by forces across the country has reached its highest point in nearly 30 years. As of May 15 of this year approximately 69,000 police officers were working Canadian streets. That equates to a per capita rate of 203 officers per 100,000 people. Going city by city, Kelowna is dead last among 33 metropolitan areas in the country included in the report. According to Stats Can, the metropolitan Kelowna region has 191 officers which translates to 107 officers per 100,000 people.
The next closest is Moncton, NB at 118 per 100,000 population. At the other end of the scale, Saint John, NB has 202 police officers per 100,000 people while Regina, SK employs 194 per 100,000 people. Kelowna's Crime Severity Index is also the fourth highest among the 33 areas in the report. A recent Maclean's Magazine survey ranked Kelowna as the sixth most dangerous city in Canada in terms of crime for cities with a population over 10,000. On Thursday, Kelowna RCMP Superintendent, Bill McKinnon, will appear before City Council asking that five new officers be included in the city's 2011 budget. The request has been earmarked as Priority 2 meaning the request is not being recommended. Cost to the city would be $500,000 in 2011. McKinnon received five new officers in 2010 and none in 2009.
The next closest is Moncton, NB at 118 per 100,000 population. At the other end of the scale, Saint John, NB has 202 police officers per 100,000 people while Regina, SK employs 194 per 100,000 people. Kelowna's Crime Severity Index is also the fourth highest among the 33 areas in the report. A recent Maclean's Magazine survey ranked Kelowna as the sixth most dangerous city in Canada in terms of crime for cities with a population over 10,000. On Thursday, Kelowna RCMP Superintendent, Bill McKinnon, will appear before City Council asking that five new officers be included in the city's 2011 budget. The request has been earmarked as Priority 2 meaning the request is not being recommended. Cost to the city would be $500,000 in 2011. McKinnon received five new officers in 2010 and none in 2009.
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