For the first time in seven years, the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Police Department is in danger of running a deficit because of its continued monitoring of the "Occupy Vancouver" protest outside the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Art Gallery.
Police Chief Jim Chu warned the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Police Board Wednesday that deploying officers to the protest since it began Saturday has been expensive and "threatens our ability to meet our budget this year."
"The cost of the policing is not trivial but we're going to deploy what we need to keep the protesters as well as the public safe," Chu told reporters after the board meeting but wouldn't reveal costs or number of officers working the protest. "For any event where there's an extended period of time that it's going to occur, and when we don't know for certainty what kind of event it's going to be, it is very difficult to put a final budget number on it."
The VPD's operating budget hovers around $200 million but it has no contingency fund other than a $2.4 million criminal investigation budget that goes toward overtime costs related to homicides, kidnappings and major crimes.
Until the protest began Saturday, the chief said, the department was on course to balance its budget for the seventh consecutive year-even with policing costs associated to the Stanley Cup playoffs and the June 15 riot which erupted downtown after the Canucks lost to the Boston Bruins in Game 7. "When we're near the end of the year, and an unexpected event occurs like 'Occupy Vancouver', then it doesn't give us an opportunity through other months to try to make up for the shortfall that this may cause us," the chief said.
The department is also not allowed to use any surpluses from previous years. But Mayor Gregor Robertson, who is chairperson of the police board, wouldn't commit to changing the arrangement when questioned after the meeting. "The police have had a stellar record the last six years, and so it's an extraordinary year like this that provokes the question around having a contingency in the VPD budget," Robertson told the Courier. "I'm certainly open-minded to new approaches."
If the VPD runs a deficit, the mayor said it would likely be covered by a city contingency fund. But what's the consequence to the VPD of going over budget?
"That's a good question," Robertson said. "It hasn't happened under my watch and for several years before, so it's obviously something we'll look closely at what next steps and proactive approaches we can take so the police can address an extraordinary year like this."
So far, the mayor has no plans to order the dozens of people in tents to leave the grounds of the art gallery. "The best thing is to let the protest continue, as is, and make sure that it stays peaceful and non-violent and clean-and doesn't disrupt the activity downtown," he said, noting the city-funded fire department and street engineering crews are monitoring the protest but he didn't know the cost when questioned Wednesday.
Police board member Glenn Wong said it was important the public knows the VPD balanced its budget for six consecutive years and has had surpluses. Wong said he'll continue to "hold the department's feet to the fire" on day-today spending but added that he will be "non-apologetic" to city hall if the VPD does run a deficit this year. "I appreciate the sensitivity and the strong financial management that the department has, and if we go over budget with explanation, I'm OK with that," said Wong, noting the city should be reminded the VPD doesn't have a contingency fund "for these huge variable costs that come our way."
Twitter: @Howellings
