Esquimalt and Victoria share public-safety challenges. I support strengthening regional policing, negotiating a fair agreement and ending further spending on a separate Esquimalt police force.
Esquimalt and Victoria share borders, public spaces and some of the same public-safety challenges. Effective policing requires specialized teams, coordinated information and the ability to respond across municipal boundaries. Crime does not stop at a municipal boundary, and our approach to public safety should reflect that reality.
Victoria and Esquimalt have operated as one amalgamated police department since January 1, 2003. The current Framework Agreement was signed in 2014 to establish how resources, governance and costs would be shared. In 2022, Esquimalt Council chose not to renew that agreement without reconsidering whether it was fair and appropriate for the community. The agreement has since been extended while the Township considers its options.
There are legitimate reasons to demand a better agreement. A provincial review concluded that Esquimalt’s former 14.7 per cent share of the VicPD budget did not align with its demand for police services, resulting in a reduction to 13.67 per cent. Because Esquimalt is the only municipality besides Victoria contributing to VicPD’s core budget, Esquimalt taxpayers also contribute to costs associated with policing downtown Victoria. Other municipalities benefit from a safe regional centre without sharing those costs in the same way.
That is unfair, but a stand-alone Esquimalt police force is not the answer.
I strongly support continuing to work in partnership with Victoria to improve the existing model while jointly advocating for a more regional approach to policing throughout Greater Victoria. The current agreement is not perfect. Esquimalt needs a fair funding formula, meaningful representation and clear accountability for the services residents receive. Those issues should be addressed through serious negotiation, not by creating a smaller department that would still need to purchase specialized services from a larger police force.
Esquimalt’s own analysis found that a fully independent department would be cost-prohibitive and difficult for a community of our size to sustain. Even the model involving a smaller Esquimalt department supported by another police agency was estimated to require at least $1.5 million in initial transition costs. That figure does not include facility costs, which the analysis estimated could range from $200,000 for renovations to as much as $20 million for a new police facility. The transition itself could take several years and would carry significant financial and operational uncertainty.
We have done the research. I do not support spending more public money or staff time investigating an Esquimalt police force. That effort should be directed toward negotiating a stronger agreement with Victoria, building a serious regional partnership and improving public safety throughout the region.