Winnipeg police face $2.45M budget shortfall for 2016, board confirms

The Winnipeg Police Serviceis facing amultimillion-dollarshortfall in2016 unless the city steps in to bail the force out, the police board says.

TheWinnipeg Police Service's 2016 budget includes plans tolayoff 40 of 68 cadets,cancelthe 2016 recruitment class and lay off 20 of 37 members enrolled in the class, the police board revealed at its meeting Friday.

Police board executive directorDonNorquayprovided budget figures showing the service was short by just under $2.5 million inthebudget this year.

Declining revenue from photo radar enforcement, increased costs of salaries and benefits and some other expenses contributed to the shortfall, he said.

The police had an even bigger shortfall butreduced the gap by eliminating a sick leave severance account, saving $1.05 million.It comes ascity councillors go throughthe preliminary budget. They will vote on it by the end of March.

• Budget 2016: Winnipeggers to pay more property taxes, fees while businesses pay less

The board heard thatalthough crime in general has dropped in Winnipeg, there are some statistics that remain high.

• Winnipeg crime rate 23.9% lower than 5-year average, say police
• Winnipeg police Chief Devon Clunis retires as cuts loom

Violent crime rates in Winnipeg, "arestill a major challenge compared to the rest of the country," Norquaysaid.Statisticsshow violent crime is 65 per centhigher here than the national average thethird worst municipality in Canada in that category.

Norquaytold theboard proactive police time will be reduced and servicewill become more "reactive," adding the current allocation from the city "would not be sufficient tomaintain an adequate police service."

A step back for WPS

Outgoing police chiefDevonClunissaid the cut would constitutea step back for the WPS.

"What you would notice is us going back to being a reactionary police service. You would still be able to get a police officer if you have an emergency, but everything I've been driving at for the past3 years is about the proactive, prevention piece of policing which ultimately is the long term cure,"Clunissaid.

"That's what would be missing. We would go backwards, not forwards."

ScottGillingham, chair of the police board, didn'tsupport the board's motion for more funding.

Gillinghamtold reporters he has consistently said the cost ofpolicing cannot continue to rise as much as it has been.

He noted the WPS received a 6.3 per centincrease in this year's preliminarybudget, even though that's not enough to cover their shortfall.

That sentiment was echoed by Mayor Brian Bowman, who said in fact,the budget for the WPS has increased 80 per cent over the last decade, a rate which the city can no longer shoulder.

"The continuing increases to the police budget at the rates they were being incurred is not sustainable," Bowman told reporters.

Bowman also believes the service could find money in itsbudget to avoid layoffs.

"A budget that is increasing by b$16.7 million a 6.32 per cent increase compared to last year provides more than enough resources to meet their labour needs. You just do the math, it's really not that complicated," Bowman said.

Pay increases for officers set out in the collective bargainingagreement make up 85 per centof the police service costs.Clunissaid the proposed budget would mean cuts to benefits and salaries and a reduction in police, cadets and recruits.

Gillinghamsaidhe respectfully disagrees with comments made byClunisand thehead of the Winnipeg Police Association, MoeSabourin.

Role of board chair should be reviewed: Clunis

BothSabourinandClunissay it is inappropriate forGillinghamto be both head of thepolice board and a member of the city's finance committee. They saythere is a conflict of interest in being in both roles.

"This setup does not work for the citizens of Winnipeg,"Clunissaid, adding Gillingham's role should be reviewed."I think it's a little difficult when you have the very chair of the board not going with the rest of the board."

Gillingham pushed back, saying there is no overlap in his role as a member of the finance committee and police board.

"The police boards in Manitoba were set up by provincial legislation and under the provincial legislation, board members include councilors. And the chair of the board is a councilor. The city's own bylaw was set up in such a way that a councilor is a chair of the board, according to the mayor's appointment," he said.

That position was supported by Bowman, who called Gillingham anhonourable man in a positionthat was created by the provincial government.

"The police board does not have the power to make a final budget decision. The police board makes recommendations. If there was any, which I don't believe there is, ever a time that there may be an appearance of conflict, it would be at council, when council makes a decision on budget."

While he came out against the motion to have the city cover budget shortfall costs, Gillinghamsaid heiswilling to work with the police service, city council and the policeboard to find the money in the budget to avoid the layoffs.

"Whatever the final number is, the final budget that council decides upon, from that number, the service and the board will work together to allocate the budget," he said.

"I am very committed to doing the hard, hard work of allocating a budget that is set at $280 million and I'm committed to working hard enough to ensure that any impact to complement (police services) will be mitigated."