Toronto police requesting $27 million budget increase

Yesterday on Metro Morning Brian Kelsey, a public policy consultant and a former budget advisor to the mayor of Winnipeg, suggested that moving to a four-platoon shift schedule and encouraging “light-duty” officers to retire are easy steps that could save the police about $50 million a year.

In fact, in his request Saunders points out that of the $263.4 million in TPS budget increases since 2006, about 89 per cent ($235.1 million) has been linked to salary and benefit increases from various collective agreements.

The 2.7% boost will put the police budget over $1 billion for the first time.

The proposed 2016 budget would amount to a $27-million increase over the current year, despite a request from the city that police decrease their budget proposal by one per cent.

He says he feels he was recognized for his efforts to connect with the community as a dedicated police officer along with his 20 years of service.

However, the board asked Saunders to come back to them with a few savings.

But John Sewell of the Toronto Police Accountability Coalition says the ballooning budget is not sustainable, claiming it’s been an issue since he was the city’s mayor in the late 70s.

The city had asked for a police budget one per cent less than the 2015 budget, or $942 million.

The service came up with $9.1 million in further reductions to the 2016 operating budget request. The remaining 24 per cent of respondents said they are not sure. Meanwhile, support for increased police spending tended to be higher in the 905 (25 per cent) than in Toronto itself (22 per cent).

A total of 2,506 Ontario residents were surveyed. “It is going to take a lot of process to do it and I want do it right”.