Former B.C. solicitor general Kash Heed says the Victoria Police Department鈥檚 withdrawal from regional services is a political statement; Mayor Dean Fortin says it isn鈥檛. Either way, it brings attention to the folly of having seven separate police departments in the capital district.
VicPD announced this week it would no longer routinely send its canine team to assist other jurisdictions, except for Saanich. Only if it鈥檚 a matter of life or death will the department send its dog team to help another jurisdiction.
The decision follows moves by VicPD to withdraw from the Regional Crime Unit and reduce its participation in the Regional Domestic Violence Unit.
Heed says he believes the Victoria department is making a statement that if the province won鈥檛 set up a regional police force, Victoria will look out for itself.
Even though Victoria is on record as being in favour of amalgamating the region鈥檚 police departments, Fortin said the change to the canine unit is about getting best value for tax dollars and not about the city鈥檚 position on regionalization. But he added: 鈥淚f that draws attention to the regional needs, that鈥檚 fine.鈥�
Police departments co-operate regularly, but each is headed by its own chief or commanding officer and must consider its own budget and needs.
Crime, on the other hand, knows no borders. When help is urgently needed, budgets and boundaries should not be the first consideration. At a time when a more regional approach to policing is needed, we shouldn鈥檛 be moving in the other direction.
