Prime Time Crime

Page 28

British Columbia - The Best Place on Earth -

Just ask our criminals…

By Gerry Wickstead

Comparing Police Resources

Police Officers per 100,000 Population 1996 to 2000

In 2000 if the Province of British Columbia (165) matched the same number of ‘Police Officers per 100,000 Population’ with Quebec (188) then B.C. would have an additional 935 police officers.

"Police per capita in Canada (182 officers per 100,000 population) is lower than both the United States at 247 (1998 data) and England and Wales at 233 (2000 data).  While the number of police officers grew 8% between 1996 and 1998 in the United States, the number of police officers in England and Wales has dropped by 2% since 1996.” 

Source: Statistics Canada – Catalogue No. 85-225-XIE Page 9

In 2000, if the Province of British Columbia (165) matched the United States Average of 247 police per 100,000 population (1998 data) then B.C. would have an additional 3,280 Police Officers.

In 2000, if the Province of British Columbia (165) matched the England and Wales  Average of 233 police per 100,000 population (2000 data) then B.C. would have an additional 2,720 Police Officers.

Per Capita Spending on Policing (including Federal Contribution) 1995 to 1999

How do the 10 Canadian Provinces compare?

Source: Statistics Canada - Police Personnel and Expenditures in Canada (1995 to 1999)

Overview of Policing in Canada

Source: Statistics Canada – Catalogue No. 85-225-XIE 

“Policing in Canada is the responsibility of all three levels of government: federal, provincial/territorial and municipal.  The federal government, through the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), is responsible for the enforcement of federal statutes in each province and territory, and for providing services such as forensic laboratories, identification services, the Canadian Police information Centre (CPIC), and the Canadian Police College

Each province/territory assumes responsibility for its own provincial/territorial and municipal policing.  Provincial policing involves enforcement of the Criminal Code and provincial statutes within areas of a province not served by a municipal police force (i.e. rural areas and small towns).  In some cases, police boundaries may overlap.  For example, in some areas provincial police perform traffic duties on major provincial thoroughfares that pass through municipal jurisdictions.

Municipal policing consists of enforcement of the Criminal Code, provincial statutes, and municipal by-laws within the boundaries of a municipality or several adjoining municipalities that comprise a region (e.g. Durham Regional Police in Ontario) or a metropolitan area (e.g., Montreal Urban Community).

Newfoundland, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are the only areas in Canada without municipal police forces.  Municipal policing in Newfoundland is managed differently than in other provinces.  The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, which is a provincial police force, provides policing to the three largest municipalities (St. John’s, Corner Brook, and Labrador City) as well as Churchill Falls.

The RCMP provides provincial/territorial policing in all provinces and territories except Quebec and Ontario, which maintain their own provincial police forces: the Surete du Quebec and the Ontario Provincial Police, respectively.  Newfoundland also maintains their own provincial police force, as mentioned above, and contracts the RCMP to provide provincial policing to the remaining municipalities and the rural areas.

In addition to federal, provincial and municipal policing, there are also various types of First Nations policing agreements for Aboriginal communities in place across Canada.”

Municipal Policing Expenditures

“Provincial legislation can require that cities and towns, upon reaching a minimum population, maintain their own municipal police force.  Municipalities have three options when providing municipal policing services: forming their own police force, joining with an existing municipal police force or entering into an agreement with the provincial police force (which is provided by the RCMP in all provinces except Ontario and Quebec).  In 1999, there were 591 municipal police forces in Canada, including 201 RCMP municipal contracts and 65 OPP municipal contracts.  In total, municipal policing accounted for 66% of all police officers and 58% of all policing expenditures in 1999. 

The RCMP employed 3,813 offices in 1999 under contract to 201 municipalities in all provinces except Newfoundland, Quebec, and Ontario.  RCMP municipal policing contract charges are based upon the size of the municipality.  During 1999, most policing contracts in municipalities with a population of under 15,000 were billed 70% of the cost of the contract, while municipalities of 15,000 and over were billed 90% (in most cases) of the contract cost.  The costing formula takes into consideration the costs of providing federal and other RCMP policing duties while also performing municipal policing duties.

There were 65 Ontario municipalities that contracted with the OPP in 1999 to provide municipal policing, for a total of 747 police officers.

The remaining 325 municipal police forces employed 31,683 officers, or 87% of municipal police officers in Canada, and accounted for 91% of total municipal policing expenditures in 1999.

Provincial/Territorial Policing Expenditures

Provincial policing for both the provinces and territories accounted for approximately one-quarter (23%) of policing costs in 1999.

Federal Policing and Other RCMP Expenditures

In 1999, the cost to the federal government for expenditures on federal policing and other RCMP expenditures totalled $1.2 billion, which included the portion of municipal and provincial RCMP contract policing considered federal policing ($276 million).  The RCMP has responsibility in all provinces and territories for the enforcement of federal statutes and protective services.

Other RCMP expenditures include the cost of headquarters and divisional administration and the costs associated with providing national police services such as: forensic laboratory services; the Canadian Police College, informatics support for management and operation of the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC), an automated national computer information system that is available to all police forces; telecommunications services for data and radio transmissions to ensure all detachments receive current information; criminal intelligence and United Nations peacekeeping services.”

Trends in Police Personnel and Expenditures, Canada

Source- Statistics Canada Catalogue No. 85F0019 Page 15

Total Municipal and Provincial Expenditures on Policing, 1999

(Does not include Federal Contributions)

Source: Statistics Canada – Catalogue No. 85-225-XIE Page 20

Only expenditures for municipal and provincial/territorial policing are included as the provinces/territories are not responsible for federal policing and other RCMP administrative expenditures.

In 1999 the average per capita cost for municipal and provincial/territorial policing was $169.  If British Columbia ($136) matched the Canadian average per capita cost then B.C. would have an additional $132,924,000 for Police Resources

In 1999 the Province of British Columbia reported 21,930 more Criminal Incidents than the Province of Quebec and had 7,007 less police officers to investigate the crimes.

Expenditure figures represent gross operating expenditures and include costs that are paid from police department budgets and benefits paid from other sources.  Revenues, recoveries and capital expenditures are excluded.

Note: Totals may not add up due to rounding.

Source: Police Administration Annual Survey, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics

Total Municipal and Provincial Expenditures on Policing, 1999

Including Federal Contributions to Policing

Source: Statistics Canada – Catalogue No. 85-225-XIE Pages 21-23 Tables 8,9, and 10

In 1999 the Province of British Columbia’s total per capita spending on Policing was $30.01 less than the province of Ontario. 

If British Columbia matched Ontario’s per capita spending on Policing the province would have an additional $120,883,280 for police resources.

Prime Time Crime current headlines

The Best Place on Earth Page 29