by Wayne Moore -Castanet Apr 17, 2012 / 5:00 am

As expected, Kelowna City Council has approved the addition of seven new RCMP members in 2012.
The recommendation came on the heels of the Prosser Report that concluded the Kelowna Detachment is 'woefully understaffed.' The addition of seven new officers brings to 11 the number of RCMP members approved by council for 2012. During budget deliberations in January, council agreed to add four members as well as a crime analyst.. In addition, council agreed to add three new members in each of the next three years for a total of 20 by 2015. This is on top of eight additional officers recommended by 2015 due to growth. Those officers may, or may not be added on a yearly basis at budget time. The expectation is with the addition of 20 officers, the crime rate and calls for service will go down, reducing the need for new officers down the road. Finance Director, Keith Grayston says staff hoped to achieve a 1 per cent yearly tax requirement, over and above other budget measures, for protective services between now and 2016. This includes both RCMP and fire protection. Grayston says the fire department's strategic plan laid out in 2010 included the phasing in of new firefighters to provide for a new fire hall in North Glenmore. "The intent would be to combine both needs under a 1 per cent tax scenario," says Grayston. The plan to phase in the new officers and combine both RCMP and fire protection under one tax requirement over each of the next four years drew positive reviews from council."I like the idea of identifying this 1 per cent for protective services in a number of future budgets so we can plan for the full implementation of our strategic plan for policing and for fire," says Councillor Robert Hobson. "Putting the two together I think is important." Councillor Gerry Zimmermann, a former Kelowna Fire Chief, also applauded the direction laid out by staff. "It's encouraging that we can now be pro-active and not reactive," says Zimmermann. The addition of seven new officers will cost the city about $969,000. While most, if not all of the officers won't begin working until the end of the year or early 2013, Grayston says the budgeted funds will likely be utilized if the government loses a challenge put forth by RCMP members on a 2 per cent wage rollback in 2009. If that judgement goes against the government, the city would be on the hook for about $995,000 in back wages dating back three years.