COMMUNITY&
MUNICIPAL POLICING ADVISORY BOARD AGENDA
October 22, 2020 6:00 pm COUNCIL CHAMBERS 400 MAIN STREET SE Airdrie is a vibrant, caring community rich in urban amenities and opportunities for everyone. We value a healthy, sustainable environment connecting people and places. Pages
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. CLOSED MEETING
3. MINUTES
3.1 Review and Adopt minutes of the January 23, 2020 meeting 1
4. PUBLIC QUESTION PERIOD
5. NEW BUSINESS
5.1 Policing Delivery Model Study (Chief Weinberger, Chad Lins, MNP associates) 5
The Municipal Policing Advisory Board is being asked to comment on the Policing Delivery Model Study prepared by MNP.
5.2 Traffic Safety Plan 2021-2023 (Lynn Mackenzie and Tracy Hare) 244
Municipal Policing Advisory Board is being provided with an overview of the Traffic Safety Plan 2021-2023.
5.3 Amendments to the Public Conveyance and Vehicle for Hire Bylaw (Colleen Kinley) 253
The Policing Advisory Board is being asked for input on Amendments to the existing Public Conveyance and Vehicle for Hire Bylaw before it is presented to Council.
5.4 RCMP Update (Inspector L. Weare) 257
Municipal Policing Advisory Board is being presented with an update on RCMP COVID- 19 Impacts.
6. ROUND TABLE 7. NEXT MEETING (To be determined)
8. ADJOURNMENT
CITY OF AIRDRIE MUNICIPAL POLICING ADVISORY BOARD JANUARY 23, 2020
Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the City of Airdrie Municipal Policing Advisory Board, in the Province of Alberta, held in Council Chambers, City Hall with the following:
PRESENT Councillor Candice Kolson (Chair) Councillor Ron Chapman (Vice Chair) Chris Jacyk Gregory McShane Jeanna Morrisey Garth Patterson
RCMP Insp K. Pasloske
STAFF Christine Giffin, Officer, Municipal Enforcement Mark Locking, Director of Community Growth & Protective Services Lynn Mackenzie, Team Leader, Municipal Enforcement Kevin Weinberger, Manager, Protective Services/Fire Chief Kathryn Rushford, Recording Secretary
ABSENT WITH REGRETS Chris Gourlie Councillor Tina Petrow
CALL TO ORDER
The Chair called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m.
MINUTES
2020-P-001 G. Patterson moved that the minutes of the regular meeting of November 28, Approval of Minutes 2019 be adopted as presented. November 28, 2019 Regular Meeting CARRIED
PUBLIC QUESTION PERIOD
There were no questions from the public.
NEW BUSINESS
How Municipal Enforcement Manages Cat Complaints (Lynn Mackenzie, ME Team Leader, and Christine Giffin, ME Officer)
L. Mackenzie and Officer C. Giffin provided the Board with information on how Municipal Enforcement manages cat complaints.
Officer Giffin advised that after office hours (when officers are on duty), a cat must be transported to AME, RCMP or a veterinarian office. Otherwise, it must be cared for as if it was their own pet. Only one person has been fined for violating this rule. If the cat cannot be transported, AME will attend and pick up a trapped cat. After hours, Insp Pasloske noted that there aren’t always officers at the Detachment and watch clerks are not permitted to open the door alone.
1 City of Airdrie Municipal Policing Advisory Board January 23, 2020 Page 2 of 4
It was noted that the number of cats trapped this year versus the previous year has increased from 25 to 44; yet only one more trap was rented out. L. Mackenzie advised that multiple cats have been picked up from one trap. A comment was made that deterrents should be left up to homeowners. L. Mackenzie advised that AME will look into renting deterrents to people who don’t want to use a trap or go to court.
Officer Giffin explained the process used before a fine for cat(s) at large can be levied. 3 fines have been levied so far in 2020. The biggest problem is knowing who the owner(s) of the cats are. People have made false complaints about other people (neighbourhood issue) so proof needs to be provided.
AME does not have a lost/found website but new kennel provider will.
2020-P-002 C. Jacyk moved that the report entitled “How Municipal Enforcement Manages Accept Report Cat Complaints” be accepted for information. CARRIED
RCMP Initiatives (Insp K. Pasloske)
Insp Pasloske reviewed the 2019-2020 Priorities and the outcomes. In response to questions, Insp Pasloske advised that not all schools call for traffic safety presentations. L. Mackenzie confirmed that AME engagement officers have met with Airdrie Board of Youth Affairs. It was asked whether user numbers have gone down since MHALT was brought in. Insp Pasloske will bring back user numbers and will ask if the analyst can pull out the criminal element versus the mental health element numbers.
A comment was made that Crime Stats – Persons are down. Insp Pasloske contributed this partly to the Crime Reduction Unit, partly to engagement with the community, and partly to increased messaging. Crime Stats – Property are down due to leadership, watch management and police visibility. Insp Pasloske will get up to date domestic violence statistics for the Board. It was asked whether the Board can see the Crime Stats changes for 2014-2019 on a per capita basis to see which charges are going up relative to population growth. Insp Pasloske will report back on changes for the last fiscal year.
RECESS/RECONVENE
The Chair called a recess at 7:28 p.m. The meeting reconvened at 7:38 p.m.
RCMP Annual Priority Planning (Insp K. Pasloske)
Insp Pasloske presented information on the RCMP 2019-2020 Annual Priority Plan. The 3 Priorities for 2019-2020 were Traffic Safety, Crime Reduction and Community Engagement (in that order).
There was a discussion as to what the RCMP members, the Board and the public want to see as priorities for 2020-2021. A comment was made that Priority Plans should be for a minimum of 3 years (3-5 years being optimal).
A comment was made that domestic violence needs to be a continued priority. Councillor Kolson advised that Council has made domestic violence a top priority. Insp Pasloske advised that Airdrie has a very good Domestic Violence Unit and that other communities come to see what we are doing. It was
2 City of Airdrie Municipal Policing Advisory Board January 23, 2020 Page 3 of 4
suggested that Community Engagement needs to highlight that.
It was suggested that police lights should be going off numerous times in various locations every day and every night. Community Engagement could explain why the lights are going off. Insp Pasloske will look into that.
2019-P-003 C. Jacyk moved that the Municipal Policing Advisory Board adopt the following Annual Policing Priorities 2020 Policing Priorities for 2020-2021:
Crime Reduction Traffic Safety Community Engagement CARRIED
M. Locking advised that comments on the following were received from the Police community satisfaction survey: Officer professionalism, response times, open longer hours, and better follow-up. Administration will work with the Commander to address these items.
ROUND TABLE
Councillor Kolson – Regarding the change to red light cameras, she will draft a letter to the Provincial Government and will circulate the letter to the Board for feedback.
M. Locking – Will cancel the extra meeting scheduled for February 6, 2020.
ACTION PLAN
Councillor Kolson to draft letter to Justice Minister and both MLA’s re automated traffic enforcement, and send letter to Board for feedback. Insp Pasloske to bring back user numbers since MHALT was brought in and to ask analyst to pull out criminal vs mental health element numbers. Insp Pasloske to bring back Crime Stats changes on per capita basis for last fiscal year. Insp Pasloske to look into police lights going off numerous times in various locations every day and every night. Staff to investigate possibility of additional signage in the community to slow drivers down.
ADJOURNMENT
The Chair declared the meeting adjourned at 8:44 p.m.
NEXT MEETING
The next regular meeting of the Municipal Policing Advisory Board will be held on Thursday, March 26, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers.
______Chair
______
3 City of Airdrie Municipal Policing Advisory Board January 23, 2020 Page 4 of 4
Recording Secretary
4
Choose an item – AGENDA REPORT
Meeting Date: 22 October 2020
Subject: Policing Delivery Model Study
Boards Routed Through: N/A
Date: N/A
Issue:
Municipal Police Advisory Board is being presented with the Policing Delivery Model Study prepared by MNP.
Background:
The City’s ongoing growth has increased the demands for protective services from Municipal Enforcement (ME) and the RCMP. As a result, of increasing complexities of municipal policing, staff identified a need to do a comprehensive review of priorities and all programs delivered by the enforcement sections of the Protective Services Team.
In 2019, ME put forward a request for operating dollars to complete a comprehensive review of policing and enforcement programs and priorities. As the City of Airdrie is one of the fastest growing cities in Western Canada the growth presents challenges for the City in its efforts to meet commitment to a safe community, while fully recognizing a broad range of factors involved in community safety. The rationale for this study was based on several significant factors related to policing and was prompted by a number of key questions:
Is there a point where the City would outgrow having an RCMP detachment? Do the Cities priorities begin to conflict with the RCMP national and divisional policies?
Is the City of Airdrie prepared, for the current and future policing environment?
Do municipalities with different delivery models get different value for their investments?
The City has never completed a comprehensive review of service levels and or reviewed the performance of the police. In recent years , the policing budget has continually increased and the direction as to what is more important changes
5
constantly. The City of Airdrie would like to develop a plan that would provide clear direction and oversight as to where the monies should be spent.
How do we compare with other police agencies from key performance indicators such as clearance rates and calls for service? As a result of the approved 2019 Operating budget, staff prepared a Request for Proposal and MNP was the successful proponent. Their proposal including the following:
Complete a service review of the current policing model and other potential policing model options for the City of Airdrie.
Complete a governance review of the current policing model and other policing model options for the options for the City of Airdrie.
Provide the City of Airdrie with recommendations for a future policing delivery model based on the information collected through the service and governance reviews.
MNP representative, Chad Lins and team, will now present the results of their Protective Services Review
Alignment with South Saskatchewan Regional Plan and AirdrieONE:
"[Describe the relationship of the issue to the AirdrieONE Plan.]"
Boards Routed Through:
N/A
Alternatives/Implications:
Municipal Police Advisory Board may choose to:
1. Support the Protective Services Review as presented. Staff will proceed to Council.
2. Request that Staff provide more information. Staff will return at a later date with requested information.
Communications Plan:
N/A Recommendation:
That Municipal Police Advisory Board support the Protective Services Review and provide staff with input to be provided in the presentation to Council.
6
______Kevin Weinberger Manager of Protective Services/Fire Chief Lynn Mackenzie Municipal Enforcement Team Leader
Presenter: Kevin Weinberger, Manager of Protective Services/Fire Chief Department: Community Growth and Protective Services Reviewed by: Mark Locking, Director of Community Growth and Protective Services Attachments: #1 #2 #3 Appointment: Chad Lins, MNP
7
Policing Delivery Model Study
City of Airdrie
October 2020
8 MNP
1. Approach and Methodology
2. Current State Assessment and Agenda Analysis
3. Police Service Model Options
4. Conclusion and Recommendations
9 Wherever business takes you ..MNP.ca 2 Approach & Methodology
10 Introduction MNP Airdrie is reviewing all programs and priorities delivered through the enforcement section of its Protective Services Team including Municipal Enforcement and the RCMP.
Project Objective #1 Complete a service review of the current policing model and other potential policing model options for the City of Airdrie
Project Objective #2 Complete a governance review of the current policing model and other policing model options for the City of Airdrie
Project Objective #3 Provide the City of Airdrie with recommendations for a future policing delivery model based on the information collected through the service and governance reviews 11 Wherever business takes you ..MNP.ca 4 Current State Assessment and Analysis
What We Heard and What The Data Says
12 MNP What We Heard
Quality of services provided by the RCMP and Municipal Enforcement is perceived to be strong. Service
The community currently has access to Front-counter staff is excellent and their ability services that would be expensive to do as a Financial Staff to start files and hand them off creates municipal service. Positives / efficiencies. Commendations
The RCMP are considered to be professional, helpful Co-location of Municipal Enforcement and Location Reputation and have a good reputation. Municipal Enforcement RCMP in the same building is a benefit. are seen as caring, friendly and responsive to community needs.
13 Wherever business takes you MNP.ca 6 What We Heard MNP
Recruitment and retention of RCMP officers and City employees work within the RCMP staff is challenging. environment but report to the City.
Staffing
Priorities driven by Edmonton (Division) or Lack of influence over policing service delivery Ottawa (National). that is commensurate with the proportion of the Financial Governance cost of policing the City pays. The City has been challenged with designing and implementing several initiatives because they do Challenges / not fit with RCMP policy or directives Concerns
Municipal Enforcement Officers are not utilized Resource Perception of fairness in which rural and Service to their full potential Coordination municipal officers are deployed for service provision
Communication
Radio systems issues - multiple radio systems Lack of transparent information sharing and lack of ME access to RCMP radio channel
14 Wherever business takes you MNP.ca 7 MNP What the Data Says RCMP
Population and RCMP Members Crime Severity Index On average, Airdrie’s population has grown by 5% annually, Airdrie’s CSI has been decreasing throughout the period of RCMP authorized strength has grown by 12% annually and study as have its two major components, violent crime CSI number of working members has grown by 11% annually. and non-violent crime CSI.
Resource Sharing Police Strength 74% of the calls are municipal and 80% of the officers are The average number of police officers per 100,000 in municipal (average CSI of 58), whereas 26% of the calls are Canada was 185 in 2018 – Airdrie is well below the average rural, while 20% of the officers are rural (average CSI of 168). at 81.
Police Activity Benchmarking Total crime stats and police activities have increased by an Airdrie’s number of officers and civilians per population, CSI, average of 6% annually, meaning the total activity per officer and number of incidents “fit” against their benchmarked has decreased over the period of study. counterparts – particularly those policed by the RCMP
15 Wherever business takes you ..MNP.ca 8 MNP What the Data Says Municipal Enforcement and Civilian Support Staff
Civilian Support Staff Licenses Airdrie’s civilian staff compliment is very comparable to Licenses issued by the City has increased by an average of available benchmarks with civilian support staff comprising 3% annually during the period of study; however, only a 26% of total FTEs. portion of these would be attributed to ME officers.
Commercial Vehicle Checks Tickets Issued
ME team conducts 32 commercial vehicle checks annually Tickets issued by ME officers have remained relatively with an average of 18 tickets issued annually throughout the consistent during the period of study – approximately 73% study period. of these tickets are provincial, the remainder are bylaw.
Bylaw and Animal Complaints Calls for Service Total bylaw and animal complaint activities performed by Calls for service numbers for ME officers has decreased on ME officers have increased by an average rate of 4% average 2% during the period of study.* annually over the period of study.
* During certain hours of the day ME officers are self-dispatching and many of these calls are not properly recorded16 Wherever business takes you ..MNP.ca 9 MNP Protective Services Costs
16% 13% 4% 12% 10%
RCMP Civilian Municipal Building and Revenue Enforcement Maintenance \ I
Expenditures' t 13% 17 Wherever business takes you ..MNP.ca 10 MNP Costs per Capita
$350 $350
$300 76% RCMP Comparators $244 $250 Airdrie’s current policing costs per capita are 76% of the cost per capita for benchmarked RCMP comparator communities.
$200 $186
$150 53% Municipal Comparators $100 Airdrie’s current policing costs per capita are 53% of the cost per capita for benchmarked comparator communities with municipal
$50 police services.
$0 Airdrie RCMP Comparator Average Municipal Comparator Average 18 Wherever business takes you ..MNP.ca Police Service Model Options
19 MNP Regional Police Service Not Pursued for Further Analysis Regionalization Regionalization of police services in Alberta is governed under Section 24 of the Police Act. It states, in general, that the councils of two or more municipalities may enter into Governance an agreement to be policed by one regional police service. The complexity of the required governance structure may be significant enough that Airdrie finds itself in a governance mechanism that is perceived to be less effective than the one they have today. Municipal Differences There would be significant variations in the municipalities that a regional service would have to deal with. It creates a very large and diverse geography to police that may not make a regional model any more effective and efficient than what exists today.
Agreements and Funding It would take a significant amount of effort and time to come to some agreement on how a regionalized police service would work and get funded. Then it would require the time to receive ministerial approval. 20 Wherever business takes you ..MNP.ca 13 MNP Alternative Contract Service Provider
Service Provision The CPS is a highly trained and respected police service with a fulsome array of services to provide. Discussions with CPS have resulted in the confidence that CPS could provide Governance service to Airdrie. This arrangement may provide only a marginal governance improvement to Airdrie’s current situation. Airdrie would continue to be in a contractual relationship with a separate agency that provides its policing service. Staffing iI the CPS were to police the City of Airdrie maintaining the proportion of police officers and civilian staff per population, there would be 111 police officers servicing Airdrie and 54 civilian staff.
Costs Cost per Capita CPS Officer Ratio = $26.2 million (officers per capita held Calgary’s current policing costs under the CPS are constant) approximately $400 per capita – significantly higher Airdrie Officer Ratio = $14.1 million (adjusted to better than Airdrie’s current costs. reflect current officer per capita ratio) 21 Wherever business takes you ..MNP.ca 14 Municipal Model – Full-Service MNP The municipal model aims to replace as many of the services provided by the RCMP in the status quo with only a few exceptions:
Patrol Operations – ME and Frontline Police Forensic Identification Team ME is integrated directly into the frontline policing teams, which Forensic identification team has been added to support the generally reflect the current model. frontline and investigative unit that will need a dedicated space with specialized equipment and software.
Dispatch Team Crime Analytics Team 24/7 dispatch team has been added in the full-service model Team will be embedded within the Investigations Team and and will require dedicated space and purchase of technology overseen by a specialized Detective level resource. systems to support this work.
Special Operations Community Policing Team Specialized unit will provide policing support for tactical support, Similar to the current service provision although two (2) emergency management response and canine. CPS resources constable positions who would have been School Resource would be used for emergency event management or air support. Officers, would be transitioned to ME Officer positions.
Investigations Team Corporate Service – Organizational Support Dedicated investigation unit similar to the current structure, Several additional resources would be required to support the though resources have been changed to detective level. overall organization in the areas of HR, finance, communications, fleet and equipment, IT, professional standards and governance.
22 Wherever business takes you ..MNP.ca 15 Municipal Model – Full Service MNP
Police Chief (1)
Deputy Police Chief (1) Deputy Police Chief (1) (Insp.) (Insp.)
------,I Patrol Operations Dispatch Team Leader Support Operations I Corporate Services Supervisor (1) (S/Sgt.) (2) Supervisor (1) (S/Sgt.) I Manager (1)
Team Leader, Canine / TAC / Patrol Platoon Patrol Platoon C Community Policing Traffic Supervisor (1) Investigative Support Emergency Mgmt Administration, Administrative Municipal Enforcement Dispatch A (3) Supervisor A (1) (Sgt.) Supervisor (1) (Sgt.) Supervisor (1) (Sgt.) (Patrol Sgt.) Supervisor (1) (Sgt.) Supervisor (1) (Patrol Records, & Info Support (1) Sgt.) I ' Management Team Leader (1)
Constable (2) Municipal Community Policing Municipal Enforcement Chief Licensing Officer (1 Patrol Sgt; 8 Cst.) (1 Patrol Sgt; 8 Cst.) Dispatch B (3) Detective (11) Constable (5) HR Support (1) Enforcement Admin Services (2) (Patrol Sgt) Coordinator (1) (1) Support (2) CPIC (1)
Traffic Clerk (0.5)
Dispatch C (3) Constable (6) Crime Analyst (2) Finance Support (1) Municipal Enforcement Patrol Platoon B Patrol Platoon D Officer (10) Supervisor (1) (Sgt.) Supervisor (1) (Sgt.) Court Liaison (1)
Municipal Enforcement Dispatch D (3) Forensic Technician (3) Building and Fleet Officer (2) (1 Patrol Sgt; 8 Cst.) (1 Patrol Sgt; 8 Cst.) Support (1) File Reader (1)
Dispatch Float (2) CRU Support (1) 56 FTEs IT Support (2) Front Desk (5)
16 FTEs GIS Support (1) Communications Support (1) Watch Clerks (4)
I I Management Exhibit Custodian (1) I Administrative Support I (1) L------I 41.5 FTEs 21 FTEs
Wherever business takes you MNP.ca 23 16 MNP Municipal Model – Full Service
Service Risk If there is a service risk to this model, it is that some speciality services may not gain exposure to certain types of crime, investigations or activities. Governance Based upon the concerns expressed by the City, a municipal model, with a true governance structure, would provide the influence it seeks, albeit at the cost of absorbing the commensurate liability of doing so. Resourcing Flexibility to adjust services or change the focus and make-up of resources as needed. This initial sample model is largely based on the current services Airdrie is receiving and therefore similar resources to provide those services.
Costs Cost per Capita Transition costs approximately $3.2 million (retain RCMP cars and equipment), annual expenditures approximately $20 million, The costs for the full-service municipal model would be and revenue approximately $3 million. $286 per capita. 24 Wherever business takes you ..MNP.ca 17 MNP Municipal Model – Hybrid The hybrid model is proposed to have the same service-related characteristics as the municipal model with one exception – it attempts to mitigate high-risk, low-frequency events by contracting those to resources that deal with those services full time.
Municipal Enforcement Special Operations Service to be provided by a contracted partner with some Similar to the municipal model, the hybrid model incorporates internal resources with some specialized training in emergency ME officers into the police response model. event management and tactical support training.
Investigations Team Dispatch Team Five Constable level investigators overseen by a Sergeant. Similar to the full-service model, a 24/7 dispatch team has been Additional support would be brought in from an external added and will require dedicated space and purchase of contracted service provider – likely CPS – for larger or serious technology systems to support this work. crime investigations. Corporate Service – Organizational Support Forensic Identification Team Similar to the full-service model, several additional resources Instead of a Forensic Identification Team there would be one would be required to support the overall organization in the civilian resource to support evidence collection – this function areas of HR, finance, communications, fleet and equipment, IT, would be outsourced for serious crimes. professional standards and governance.
25 Wherever business takes you ..MNP.ca 18 Municipal Model – Hybrid MNP
Police Chief (1)
Deputy Police Chief Deputy Police Chief (1) (Insp.) (1) (Insp.) -. I Patrol Operations Dispatch Team I Support Operations Corporate Services Supervisor (1) (S/Sgt.) Leader (2) I Supervisor (1) (S/Sgt.) Manager (1)
Team Leader, Patrol Platoon Patrol Platoon C Community Policing Traffic Supervisor (1) Investigative Support Administration, Administrative Municipal Dispatch A (3) Supervisor A (1) (Sgt.) Supervisor (1) (Sgt.) Supervisor (1) (Sgt.) (Patrol Sgt.) Supervisor (1) (Sgt.) Records, & Info Support Enforcement (1) Management Team Leader (1)
Community Policing Constable (2) Municipal Municipal Chief Licensing (1 Patrol Sgt; 8 Cst.) (1 Patrol Sgt; 8 Cst.) Dispatch B (3) Services (2) (Patrol Constables (5) HR Support (1) Enforcement Enforcement Admin Officer (1) Sgt) Coordinator (1) Support (2) CPIC (1)
Traffic Clerk (0.5) Municipal Dispatch C (3) Constable (6) Crime Analyst (2) Finance Support (1) Enforcement Officer Patrol Platoon B Patrol Platoon D (10) Supervisor (1) (Sgt.) Supervisor (1) (Sgt.) Court Liaison (1)
Municipal Forensic Technician Dispatch D (3) Enforcement Officer Building and Fleet (1) Support (1) (1 Patrol Sgt; 8 Cst.) (1 Patrol Sgt; 8 Cst.) (2) File Reader (1)
~------Dispatch Float (2) 56 FTEs CRU Support (1) IT Support (2) Front Desk (5) L
16 FTEs I I GIS Support (1) Communications I Support (1) Watch Clerks (4) I I I I Management I Exhibit Custodian (1) Administrative I Support (1) L------I 27.5 FTEs 21 FTEs
Wherever business takes you MNP.ca 26 19 MNP Municipal Model – Hybrid
Service Risk If there is a service risk to this model, it is that some speciality services will rely upon an outside service for their delivery. Governance Independent governance does not ensure that the City can influence or direct the police service. The Police Service governance structure is independent of the City Resourcing politics and bureaucracy by design. Mitigates high-risk, low-frequency events by contracting those to resources that deal with those services full time. Frontline policing and support operations remain under the purview of the City of Airdrie.
Costs Cost per Capita Transition costs would be approximately $2.4 million (retain The costs for the full-service municipal model would be RCMP cars and equipment), annual expenditures approximately $261 per capita. $18 million, and revenue approximately $3 million. 27 Wherever business takes you ..MNP.ca 20 Conclusion and Recommendations
28 MNP Model FTE Comparisons
Municipal Hybrid Municipal Full-Service Status Quo
Sworn Officers 63.0 75.0 67.0
Municipal Enforcement Staff 17.0 17.0 16.5
Civilian 43.5 45.5 25.5
Total 123.5 137.5 109.0
29 Wherever business takes you ..MNP.ca 22 National Police Federation MNP The NPF has several initiatives and issues it hopes to pursue but its number one issue is salaries for RCMP members
$86,110 $101,370 $99,298
RCMP Ranked 122nd CPS Ranked 11th Canadian Average
First Class Constables earn First Class Constables earn Across Canada, the approximately $86,110 approximately $101,370 average salary for police annually annually officers in 2017/18 was $99,298
Through collective bargaining, the RCMP could see increases in member salaries to better align with the Canadian average even if they are not increased to the level of Calgary’s 11th position. 30 Wherever business takes you ..MNP.ca 23 MNP Model Cost Comparisons
Current State at Current State at CPS Municipal Full- Contract Service Current State Canadian Average Competitive Municipal Hybrid Service Provider (10% Increase) Salaries Salaries and $10,891,269 $11,735,287 $12,174,577 $17,556,302 $14,564,424 - Benefits Other Operating $2,934,504 $2,934,504 $2,934,504 $2,116,850 $1,501,300 - Costs
Building $275,554 $275,554 $275,554 $299,400 $299,400 -
Contracted Support - - - $150,000 $1,997,000 $17,191,217 Services
Total $14,101,327 $14,945,345 $15,384,635 $20,122,552 $18,362,124 $17,191,217
Revenue ($3,678,295) ($3,678,295) ($3,678,295) ($3,085,438) ($3,085,438) ($3,085,438)
Net $10,423,032 $11,267,050 $11,706,340 $17,037,114 $15,276,686 $14,105,779
31 Wherever business takes you ..MNP.ca 24 MNP Recommendations The recommendation includes not making an immediate change to the current policing model, but deploying the following, or a combination of the following courses of action:
Analyze Surrey Transition Reserve Funds Begin to prepare for a potential transition by putting funds in Surrey’s ongoing transition from the RCMP to a municipal reserve for transition costs. Airdrie would have to set aside 1 service can offer significant ‘lessons learned’ especially in 4 $1.25 million annually over 4 years to set aside a $5 million monitoring Surrey’s transition plan against actual costs. transition fund.
Review Surrey Operations (Two Years) Public Consultation Understand what areas Surrey feels they have been able to Engage the public and provide transparent information 2 improve, and areas where they believe they continue to 5 throughout. This report will provide the public with struggle. This may indicate areas that are related the model information to provide informed input to the City regarding a itself and which are policing challenges in general. change in policing models.
Third-Party Moderator Be Bold Use a moderator at Municipal Advisory Board Meetings and If there is still significant reason or desire to change at that 3 with the RCMP relationship in general. This can assist the 6 time – be bold – do not create a municipal version of the municipality with executing its rights within the MPSA and in police service that exists. Create a police service for the creating a process framework. future.
32 Wherever business takes you ..MNP.ca 25 MNP
Questions?
33 MNR.
\_....,____ _.,.,) City of Airdrie
Policing Delivery Model Study Final Report
July 2020
A1 CITY OR IE
COMMUNOTY &~~ORTUNOTY PREPARED BY
MNP LLP
34 CITY OF AIRDRIE `
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Airdrie (City) is reviewing all programs and priorities delivered through the enforcement section of its Protective Services Team (Municipal Enforcement (ME) and the RCMP). This review is in response to the City’s growing population, size and complexity. Growth is expected to continue, and this review and report are necessary to identify challenges that might exist with current services and provide recommendations for the City moving forward.
There are several questions that the City posed within the RFP for this project. Although answers to these questions appear within the report to varying degrees, these questions are specifically addressed in Appendix J. These questions include:
• Is there a point where the City of Airdrie would outgrow having an RCMP detachment? • Do the City of Airdrie’s priorities begin to conflict with RCMP national and divisional policies? • Does the RCMP have the ability to keep pace with technology both in investigations and in equipment? • How can a national policing model meet the needs and priorities for Airdrie as a City that has its own unique culture and characteristics that make it “The Place to Be” in Canada? • Is the City of Airdrie prepared, for the current and future policing environment? • Do municipalities with different policing delivery models get different value for their investments? • With constant change at the Provincial and Federal level, does the current police service model perform at a high level and does it provide high-level value for money? • How does the City of Airdrie’s policing model compare with other police agencies from key performance indicators such as clearance rates and calls for service? Throughout the duration of the engagement, MNP’s project team endeavored to answer these questions by gathering information from a variety of sources to provide a clear understanding of the benefits and challenges of the current policing model and to inform a path forward that is aligned with the City’s objectives and goals.
1.1 Project Objectives
Therefore, overarching goals and objectives of this study and report are to: 1. Complete a service review of the current policing model and other potential policing model options for the City of Airdrie 2. Complete a governance review of the current policing model and other policing model options for the City of Airdrie 3. Provide the City of Airdrie with recommendations for a future policing delivery model based on the information collected through the service and governance reviews
POLICING DELIVERY MODEL STUDY 1 35
CITY OF AIRDRIE `
1.2 Current State Assessment and Analysis
The following subsections and the bullets contained within describe the current state model, both what was heard from stakeholders and the public as well as information garnered from available data and analysis of that data. Participants in the stakeholder consultation interviews are defined in section 3.2.2.
1.2.1 What We Heard
The following bullets demonstrate positive comments raised in stakeholder consultations:
• In general, stakeholders acknowledge that RCMP service delivery has been good The reputation of the RCMP and Municipal Enforcement and the • Front-counter staff is excellent and their ability to start files service they provide is perceived to be and hand them off creates efficiencies strong with a strong majority of • The co-location of ME and RCMP in the same building is a survey respondents stating that benefit service was either acceptable, good • Community liaison officers in the schools have been beneficial or very good to the community
The following bullets outline the commendations by the public through the online survey and townhall session:
• 80% of survey respondents indicated that the quality of services provided by the RCMP were acceptable, good or very good • 68% of survey respondents indicated that the quality of enforcement services provided by the ME Officers were acceptable, good or very good • Common positive responses regarding the RCMP include: o Professional and helpful o Access to services that would be expensive to do as a municipal service o Strong reputation / face for the community • Common positive responses regarding the ME Team include: o Good complement to the RCMP o Caring and friendly o Responsive to community needs
The following bullets demonstrate concerns raised in stakeholder consultations:
• High rate of turnover for Commanding Officers (COs) and RCMP officers • Inconsistencies between Cos, the way they operate the detachment and their level and frequency of communication with the City • Constant requests from the RCMP for more resources (i.e. request for higher authorized strength) even though the RCMP have not been able to achieve authorized strength • Priorities perceived to be driven by Edmonton (Division) or even Ottawa (National)
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• Communication and radio systems issues – multiple radio systems and lack of ME access to RCMP radio channel • Perception of fairness with which rural and municipal officers are deployed for service provision – concerns that municipal officers are responding to rural calls for service • Desire to see more proactive outreach and community The most common theme is that presence many City stakeholders do not • Human resource issues for city employees working within RCMP believe the City is able to assert a environment but reporting to the City creates friction, level of influence over policing service frustration and misalignment delivery that is commensurate with • ME officers are not utilized to their fullest potential within the the proportion of the cost of policing current structure – with more communication and coordination the City pays. ME officers could be better utilized • Lack of transparent information and information sharing – only some employees given access to CPIC even when they have the same security clearance • CO’s dissatisfaction with RCMP dispatch services has resulted in the addition of Watch Clerks at the cost of the City The City has been challenged with • The City must train RCMP administrative employees to work in designing and implementing several the RCMP environment initiatives because they do not fit with RCMP policy or directives. • Influence not commensurate with RCMP budget o Major spending decisions are perceived to be made without consultation o Perception that RCMP don’t fully pay attention to City concerns and give them consideration o The City finds that RCMP invoices are not immediately transparent as to the costs charged to the City • The City feels that they don’t get to control how money is spent and they get little say – it is often perceived that the RCMP are not providing robust business cases as to why they are asking for more resources • Financial planning and budgeting are not aligned. • Stakeholders provided examples of funding requests from the RCMP that are perceived to duplicate efforts already underway by the City or other organizations within the City o E.g. Youth and domestic violence initiatives
The following bullets outline the concerns provided by the public through the online survey and townhall session:
• The majority of survey respondents are either unsure / do not know (33%) or took a neutral stance (36%) regarding whether or not the Municipal Advisory Board allows for the provision of input, flexibility, autonomy, consultation and internal review processes • Common themes surrounding areas of improvement for the RCMP include: o Slow response times o Lack of positive personal interaction / community orientation
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o Not enough visibility o Reactive not proactive • Common themes surrounding areas of improvement for the ME Team include: o Need for better bylaw enforcement o Slow response times o Redundancies in service already provided by the RCMP • 36% of respondents indicated that they believe the City spends 36% of respondents indicated that too little on policing services and just under half of respondents they believe the City spends too little (46%) agreed that they should pay more for additional on policing services and just under governance control and flexibility, with only 17% disagreeing half of respondents (46%) agreed and 36% taking a neutral stance that they should pay more for additional governance control and • Less than half of survey respondents (44%) indicated that the flexibility, with only 17% disagreeing services provided by the RCMP meet the needs of Airdrie and 36% taking a neutral stance. (Agree or Strongly Agree), with 25% of respondents taking a
neutral stance • Only a third (34%) of survey respondents indicated that the services provided by the ME Team meet the needs of Airdrie Although a strong majority of survey (Agree or Strongly Agree), with 30% of respondents taking a respondents indicated the service neutral stance that the RCMP and ME provides is good, a much smaller proportion 1.2.2 What the Data Says indicated that the services provided by both meet the City’s needs. • Airdrie’s population during the study period (2014/15 – 2018/19) has grown at an average rate of 5% annually. RCMP authorized strength has grown at 12% annually and the number Policing activity has been increasing of working members has grown by 11% annually. at an average annual rate of 1% on a o There are more officers per capita in Airdrie today than per capita basis while authorized there were in 2014/15 strength and the number of working • Total crime stats and police activities (e.g. provincial statutes Members has grown at an average (traffic tickets), false alarms, bylaws etc.) have increased at an annual rate of 12% and 11% average annual rate of 6%, relatively commensurate with respectively. population change over the same timeframe o Because working officer rate has grown faster than population and activity statistics, total activity per Population growth is averaging 5% officer has decreased over the period of study (Figure annually within the study period 8) while crime and police activities are • Airdrie’s crime severity index (CSI) has been decreasing growing at a rate of 6%. throughout the period of study as have its two major components, violent crime CSI and non-violent crime CSI. o In contrast, Alberta’s CSI has an increasing trend over the same period (Figure 9)
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• In 2018, the average rate of police strength per 100,000 population across Canada was 185 officers, the City of Airdrie is The average number of police officers well below the national average with an estimated 81 police per 100,000 in Canada was 185 in officers per 100,000 (Table 27) 2018 – Airdrie is well below the o Must be noted that Municipal Enforcement officers are average at 81. performing tasks and responding to calls that are responded to by police officers in other communities • When analyzed across several statistics, Airdrie’s number of officers, number of incidents per officer and CSI ‘fit’ statistically o Airdrie had the lowest officers per capita within the benchmarked municipalities, both for the RCMP and municipal police services, Airdrie also had the lowest CSI (Figure 10 and Figure 13) o Airdrie had the second lowest criminal incidents per 100,000 of the benchmarked RCMP policed communities, and the third lowest criminal incidents per 100,000 of the benchmarked municipal police serviced communities which also corresponds with its lowest officer per capita (Figure 11 and Figure Airdrie’s number of officers per 14) population, civilians per population, o Airdrie has a relatively high clearance rate compared to CSI, and number of incidents “fit” officer per capita (Figure 12 and Figure 15) against their benchmarked counterparts – particularly those • In general, municipal police services have significantly more policed by the RCMP. officers per capita than RCMP policing municipalities
Sharing Resources
• Data to be compare the calls for service municipal officers and rural officers are assigned to was limited; however, utilizing publicly available data it was shown that approximately 74% of the calls are municipal and 80% of the officers are municipal, whereas 26% of the calls are rural, while 20% of the officers are rural. The municipal CSI averaged 58.06 during the period of study, while the rural CSI averaged 167.76 during the period of study. Therefore, “workload” of rural officers could be deemed higher, however there is no overwhelming evidence that has been provided to prove municipal officers have been disproportionately assisting rural officers on their calls for service.
Civilian Staff
• Civilians comprise 26% of total FTEs excluding ME. The national average for Canada in 2011 was 28% and 25% in Alberta. Airdrie Airdrie’s civilian staff compliment is civilian to sworn member staff ratio is very comparable to very comparable to available benchmarked cities where related data was available. benchmarks
Municipal Enforcement
• ME team conducts 32 commercial vehicle checks annually with an average of 18 tickets issued annually throughout the study period • Total bylaw and animal complaint activities performed by ME officers have increased by an average rate of 4% annually over the period of study o The majority of the calls for service in this area are for general bylaw
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• The volume of licenses issued by the City has increased by an average of 3% annually during the period of study; however, only a portion of these would be attributed to ME officers o Most of these licenses are animal licenses • The volume of tickets issued by ME officers have remained relatively consistent during the period of study – approximately 73% of these tickets are provincial, the remainder are bylaw • Calls for service numbers for ME officer has decreased on average 2% during the period of study; however, it is acknowledged that during certain hours of the day ME officers are self-dispatching and many of these calls are not properly recorded o It is acknowledged that ME requires a more robust file and data tracking system to be able to provide fulsome statistics and data for analysis
Financials
• Overall Protective Services costs have increased on average by 13% annually during the period of study. o RCMP 16% o Civilian 13% Costs have been increasing at an o ME 4% average annual rate of 13% while revenues have been increasing o Building & Maintenance 12% annually at 10% o Total Expenditures 13% o Revenue 10% • Protective services expenditures are outpacing population Protective services expenditures are growth and therefore cost per capita has been increasing at a outpacing population growth and rate of 7% during the period of study. therefore cost per capita have been • RCMP expenditures are increasing at the highest average annual increasing at an average annual rate at 10%, followed by civilian costs at 9% and building and rate of 7% during the period of maintenance costs at 7%. ME expenditures have decreased on a study per capita basis during the period of study. • The most salient cost items based upon average annual increase and their composition within total RCMP spending include: o Member pay – increasing at 12% average annual increase and driven by an 11% increase in the volume of working members. Per member pay expenses have grown on average 1% annually during the study period. o Division administration – increasing at a 14% average annual increase and driven by the 11% increase in the volume of working members. Division administration per working members has increased on average 6% annually during the study period. o Employee benefits plan – increasing at a 14% average annual increase and driven by the 11% increase in the volume of working members. Employee benefits per working members has increased on average 1% annually during the study period. o Overtime – overtime expenditures account for 11% of total annual cost, overtime has increased from $430,000 in fiscal 2014/15 to $1.3 million in 2018/19, and average annual increase of 33%.
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▪ Overtime costs per working member have increase from $11,900 per working member in 2014/15 to $24,000 in 2018/19 (see Figure 1). ▪ NOTE: Roughly half of all overtime is associated with revenue-generating programs as well as coverage for low utilization rates. Figure 1 – Overtime Cost/Working Member and % Utilization of Authorized Strength
$30,000 100%
$25,000 95%
$20,000 90% $15,000 85% $10,000
80% $5,000
$0 75% 14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19
% Utilization/Auth Strength OT/RM - • Civilian salaries and benefits per working member have increased by 2% annually during the period of study, overtime has increased by 32% and overtime per FTE has increased 15% during the same period. • ME salaries, wages and benefits have increased 3% annually during the period of study, while overtime has increased 8% and overtime per FTE 5% during the same period. • Airdrie’s policing costs per capita during the period of study has averaged $186.10 and have increased at an average annual rate of 4% during the period of study. This cost per capita is significantly lower than many of the benchmarking municipalities: o Medicine Hat = $387.18 (Municipal) Airdrie Protective Services cost per o Calgary = $383.19 (Municipal) capita over study period – $186.10 o Brandon = $304.78 (Municipal) Municipal comparator average – $350 o Red Deer = $380 (RCMP) o Grande Prairie = $429 (RCMP) RCMP Comparator Average – $244 o Maple Ridge = $252 (RCMP) Red Deer (recent report) – $380 o Coquitlam = $215 (RCMP) • Revenue generation per capita in Airdrie has averaged $49.64 during the period of study. The average of municipalities for which data was available was $54.14.
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1.3 Police Service Model Options
The following subsections and the bullets contained within highlight findings from the study including the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the models.
1.3.1 Regional Police Service
• The notion of a regional police service comprised of communities in proximity to Calgary has existed for some time. The Calgary Metropolitan Region Board consists of representatives from ten municipalities mandated to develop a long-term plan for managed, sustainable growth in the Calgary region. • The regionalization of police services in Alberta is governed under Section 24 of the Police Act. It states, in general, that the councils of two or more municipalities may enter into an agreement to be policed by one regional police service. • Although there are likely efficiencies to be gained by pooling collective resources and creating a larger police service to serve the nine municipalities involved (one of the ten is Calgary), the concept may have challenges that make it both a long way out in its implementation and make it challenging from a governance perspective. The following issues have been discussed with subject matter experts and stakeholders: o There are significant variations in the municipalities that a regional service would have to deal with. For example, Chestermere is connected to Calgary, for all intents and purposes, while Airdrie and Cochrane have distinct rural gaps between themselves and Calgary. Even more so, Wheatland County has areas significantly more rural that other municipalities, including regions that are sparsely populated. It creates a very large and diverse geography to police that may not make a regional model any more effective and efficient than what exists today. o There are several municipalities involved, each with its own distinct desires and goals. Creating a regionalized police service would require “starting from scratch” to the greater degree. This is likely to have two effects: ▪ It would take a significant amount of effort and time to come to some agreement on how a regionalized police service would work and get funded. Then it would require the time to receive ministerial approval. ▪ The complexity of the required governance structure may be significant enough that Airdrie finds itself in a governance mechanism that is perceived to be less effective than the one they have today. • As such, there is the distinct opinion that such a regional model would be years and years away if at all viable. In addition, it is commonly viewed as a potential governance quagmire. Therefore, this model was not pursued for further analysis.
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1.3.2 Alternative Contract Service Provider (Calgary Police Service (CPS))
• Airdrie’s proximity to Calgary makes access to the robust Calgary Police Service a viable option as an alternative to their current policing model. • The Calgary Police Service is a highly trained and respected The CPS is a highly trained and police service with a fulsome array of services to provide. respected police service with a Calgary continues to receive relatively high satisfaction survey fulsome array of services to provide. results from Calgarians. • Discussions with CPS have resulted in the confidence that CPS could provide service to Airdrie by adding it as a separate but attached district. • Airdrie’s population has been increasing by an average of 5% annually since 2014; therefore, if the CPS were to police the City of Airdrie maintaining the proportion of police officers and civilian staff per population, there would be 111 police officers servicing Airdrie and 54 civilian staff. • However, the CPS model for Airdrie has been built out to determine the costs of CPS providing policing service at Airdrie’s current officer per capita ratio. The level of officers deployed could be fine tuned depending on the level of service Airdrie wishes to receive. • Section 22 of the Police Act addresses “Municipal Policing by another police service” and specifically allows for the council of a municipality to enter into an agreement with the council of another municipality for the provision of policing services – with Ministerial approval. • The Police Act requires a policing committee of no fewer than 3 and no more than 12 individuals. The Calgary Police Commission (CPC) currently has 11 members, 9 citizens and 2 city councillors – the structure of which is defined by a city by-law. This by-law would have to be amended if it was decided it was required to facilitate Airdrie participation. • There is not currently a definitive answer as to how Airdrie would or could participate in the governance of the CPS. Suggestions included having an Airdrie Citizen on the CPC or having an Airdrie Policing Committee that provides guidance to CPC or a combination of the two.
• It is noted that this arrangement may provide only a marginal Noted that this arrangement is still a governance improvement to Airdrie’s current situation. Airdrie contract and may be only a marginal would continue to be in a contractual relationship with a improvement on the status quo. separate agency that provides its policing service. Participation in the CPC would afford true governance participation over and above the current contractual leverage that currently exists. However, it is noted that the risk remains that Airdrie’s ability to assert influence on either the governance or contractual elements may be limited. • Calgary’s current policing costs under the CPS are approximately $400 per capita – significantly higher than Airdrie’s current costs. CPS is a robust, full-service policing organization that operates and maintains all aspects of its requirements internally. o A cost for CPS to police Airdrie at the same level of service, including officers per capita, and the resulting costs are estimated at $26.2 million for 2018 – compared to a cost of the RCMP in 2018 of $9.3 million.
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o However, the CPS estimated cost is approximately $12 million in 2018 (estimate $14.1 million in 2020) when adjusted to better reflect Airdrie’s current officer per capita ratio. This would include access to all the special services that CPS currently provides Calgary.
1.3.3 Municipal Model– Full-Service
• The municipal model aims to replace as many of the services provided by the RCMP in the status quo with only a few It is expected that Airdrie would exceptions. It is reasonable to believe that a municipal service continue to receive a high level of will provide as good of service to Airdrie as the current model – service from a Municipal model. particularly when it pertains to general patrol and frontline services. • Patrol Operations o Frontline Policing ▪ The frontline patrol team generally reflects the current model o Municipal Enforcement ▪ In this model the ME team is integrated directly into the frontline policing teams o Dispatch Team ▪ A 24/7 dispatch team has been added in the full-service model and will require dedicated space and purchase of technology systems to support this work. • Specialized Support Services o Special Operations – Emergency Management, Canine and Tactical Team ▪ A specialized unit has been created to provide frontline policing support for tactical support, emergency management response and canine. CPS resources would be used for emergency event management or air support. o Investigations Team ▪ Dedicated investigation unit similar to the current structure. Resources have been changed to detective level and would be specially trained and focus solely on investigative efforts. o Forensic Identification Team ▪ A forensic identification team has been added to support the frontline and investigative unit. This team will need a dedicated space that will require renovations to existing space as well as the purchase of specialized equipment and software. o Crime Analytics Team ▪ This team will be embedded within the Investigations Team and overseen by a specialized Detective level resource. o Community Policing Team ▪ The Community Policing Team would provide similar service to the current service provision although two (2) constable positions who would have been School Resource Officers, would be transitioned to ME Officer positions.
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• Corporate Services – Organizational Support o Several additional resources would be required to support the overall organization in the areas of human resources, finance, communications, fleet and equipment management, IT, professional standards (including policies and procedures) and governance or police board support. • The full-service model provides flexibility for the service to adjust services or change the focus and make- up of resources as needed. This initial sample model is largely based on the current services Airdrie is receiving and therefore similar resources to provide those services. If Airdrie created its own police service, the service need would be evaluated and adjusted at that time and the specific resources to provide those services would be determined thusly. Municipal Full-Service Status Quo Sworn Officers 75.0 67.0 Municipal Enforcement Staff 17.0 16.5 Civilian 45.5 25.5 Total 137.5 109.0 • The full-service municipal model was designed to internalize several of the special services that the current RCMP municipal service would not have directly at the detachment level but If there is a service risk to this model, access from centralized RCMP resources. There are a few of it is that some speciality services may these specialized services that require a significant investment in not gain exposure to certain types of equipment, resources or training yet are intermittent in crime, investigations or activities. need. These are assumed to be contracted out on an as need basis to an outside police service (CPS, for example). o Air Services o Crisis Intervention o Search and Rescue Based upon the concerns expressed by o Emergency Response Team (ERT)/Critical Incident the City, a municipal model, with a Program true governance structure, would provide the influence it seeks, albeit at • Section 23 of the Police Act defines the requirements for a the cost of absorbing the municipal police service to have a policing committee. The commensurate liability of doing so. committee shall consist of not less than 3 and not more than 12 members. • Subsection 14 of section 14 states that a policing committee shall: o oversee the administration of the agreement made under section 22, o assist in selecting the officer in charge, o represent the interests of the council to the officer in charge, o in consultation with the officer in charge, develop a yearly plan of priorities and strategies for municipal policing,
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o issue instructions to the officer in charge respecting the implementation and operation of the yearly plan, o represent the interests and concerns of the The Municipal Model would allow public to the officer in charge, Airdrie to adopt a full governance o assist the officer in charge in resolving structure with an independent police complaints, and commission. o appoint a Public Complaint Director. • The cost estimate for the full-service municipal police model utilizes financial information from other policing services across Canada and related subject matter experts. The following assumptions are of note: o Authorized strength was used as a volume determinant ensuring that even if there were hard vacancies, there would be back-up equipment if required. o An officer to vehicle ratio of 3:1 was utilized. o Building improvements will be required for lab space and separation and updates to space for dispatch. o It has been assumed that the second floor of the current building would also be available for use (assumed district RCMP offices would vacate this space). o Both Dispatch and the lab space were estimated to need 1,000 square feet. The dispatch building improvements require typical office space improvements. An improvement cost/ square foot of $100 was estimated. o Forensics lab would require specialized space and equipment and a higher cost per square foot ($250) was used. o An estimated cost of $1 million has been included to cover costs such as: legal, marketing, communications, organizational support, change management, recruitment, as well as travel and meeting costs. o Total transition costs are estimated at approximately $5 million o Salaries and benefits were estimated using the Calgary Police Service as an order of magnitude comparator Municipal Full-Service Salaries and Benefits $17,556,302 Other Operating Costs $2,116,850 Building $299,400 Contracted Support Services $150,000 Total $20,122,552 Revenue ($3,085,438) Net $17,037,114
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1.3.4 Municipal Model – Hybrid Service
• The hybrid model is proposed to have the same service-related characteristics as the municipal model with one exception – it Independent governance does not attempts to mitigate high-risk, low-frequency events by ensure that the City can influence or contracting those to resources that deal with those services full direct the police service. The Police time. It, like the municipal model, incorporates ME officers Service governance structure is into the police response model independent of the City politics and • Like the full-service municipal model, additional resources are bureaucracy by design. required compared to the current state for 24/7 dispatch support, oversight and span of control purposes although investigative policing resources are reduced from both the current state and the municipal full-service model. • The following list summarizes the position changes in the hybrid policing model compared to the full- service model: o Similar to the current state, the Investigations Team is It is expected that Airdrie would staffed with 5 Constable level investigators overseen continue to receive a high level of by a Sergeant. Additional support would be brought in service from a Hybrid Municipal from an external contracted service provider – likely model. CPS – for larger or serious crime investigations (homicide etc.) o Instead of a Forensic Identification Team there would be one civilian resource to support evidence If there is a service risk to this model, collection – this function would be outsourced for it is that some speciality services will serious crimes rely upon an outside service for their o No additional Constables were added for Special delivery. Operations – Emergency Management, Canine and Tactical Team. It is assumed there would be internal resources with some specialized training in emergency event management and tactical support training but that this service would be provided by a contracted partner
Municipal Full- Municipal Hybrid Status Quo Service Sworn Officers 63.0 75.0 67.0 Municipal Enforcement Staff 17.0 17.0 16.5 Civilian 43.5 45.5 25.5 Total 123.5 137.5 109.0
• The governance structure for the hybrid model would be exactly same as in the full-service municipal model. The police board or commission would in this case have the added responsibility of managing a service contract with a service provider for specialty services
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o The hybrid model will have the same pros and cons from a governance perspective as the full- service municipal model. o The hybrid model will retain a contractual relationship for some services, meaning Airdrie’s leverage over the service it gets from CPS (or any other agency) will be tied to its contract with said agency. Although speculation, there is general sentiment that dealing with the CPS may be easier than with the RCMP because of proximity and shared interests. Others are concerned that’s Airdrie’s needs could get lost in a large organization whose primary accountability is to Calgary. • The methodology for calculating the operating costs for the hybrid municipal model is the same as that used for the full-service model with a few minor alterations: o Some costs/FTE were adjusted due to the difference in services provided (decreased investigative capacity for example) o Training and training travel costs for police officers were reduced in comparison to the full-service model as there would be a lower number of specialized resources and training needs o Equipment and supply and equipment repair costs were also reduced to reflect current model historical costs for the same reason as less specialized equipment would be needed with reduced investigative services. o The cost estimation for the contracted policing services was estimated using average occurrence information for Airdrie for the last 5 years and the estimated percentage of occurrences requiring specialized services and appropriate proportion of costs associated with these occurrences were estimated using other municipal service data Municipal Hybrid Salaries and Benefits $14,564,424 Other Operating Costs $1,501,300 Building $299,400 Contracted Support Services $1,997,000 Total $18,362,124 Revenue ($3,085,438) Net $15,276,686
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1.4 Conclusion and Recommendations
There are several indicators that the City of Airdrie is interested in changing police services. There is clear unrest within the City stakeholders regarding the limitations of the current police service and it not being within the City’s purview. There exists significant sentiment that the City can operate more efficiently and be more effectively if the police are within the City’s operations and not provided by an external contractor. It is acknowledged; however, that a municipal service is not a panacea. By design, a police service needs to be governed by an independent police commission whose sole mandate is to ensure the police service is providing what is required by the citizens of Airdrie – regardless of its fit with other City operations. Cities with municipal police services face some of the same challenges Airdrie faces with the RCMP. They are not all RCMP concerns, but police issues in general.
In general, all the models contained herein are expected to provide service the public would likely interpret as good even if how they do so varies. However, there are concerns regarding the RCMP’s ability to provide a high level of service to their contract policing commitments. Concerns related to recruiting and retaining officers that find the transient posting model utilized by the RCMP to be suitable, with acquiring the best tools and technology with a cumbersome and bureaucratic procurement system, of having disparate masters and priorities and questions related to the future suitability of the RCMP to perform contract policing for provinces, territories and municipalities . Although the service the RCMP is providing to Airdrie is rated as good by the public, these issues are in the background and continue to evolve.
The public survey indicates that although both the RCMP and ME service provision are regarded as good, the services they provide are perceived to be not meeting the City’s needs nearly as well. The survey also indicates that 46% of respondents would be willing to pay more for police services if it meant having more input and influence while only 17% would not be willing to. The order of magnitude cost increase between the current state and the Municipal Hybrid model is estimated to be in the magnitude of $42 per capita (gross costs adjusted to CPS- competitive salaries and normalized vacancy rate).
The governance structures of the municipal models are best aligned with the directions and initiatives that the City wishes to pursue albeit at an increased liability to the City.
The current RCMP model has the lowest cost and the full-service municipal model is projected to have the highest, with the municipal hybrid and CPS as a contract service provider between the two. The hybrid municipal model has merits because it provides the governance mechanism that Airdrie is looking for while mitigating costs by outsourcing serious yet infrequent occurrences to Calgary (or another service provider). It is of note that these municipal police services have been designed to be lean. The full-service model has been estimated at approximately $286 per capita and the hybrid model at $261 –lower than most municipal police service costs that typically range from $300 – $400 per capita.
The bottom line is to determine whether the perceived gains of a municipal service is worth the estimated $3.5 million difference in cost between the two models (assuming CPS competitive pay increases and a normalized vacancy rate).
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Current State Contract at CPS Municipal Full- Municipal Current State Service Competitive Service Hybrid Provider Salaries Salaries and Benefits $10,891,269 12,174,577 $17,556,302 $14,564,424 - Other Operating Costs $2,934,504 $2,934,504 $2,116,850 $1,501,300 - Building $275,554 $275,554 $299,400 $299,400 - Contracted Support - - $150,000 $1,997,000 $17,191,217 Services Total $14,101,327 $15,384,635 $20,122,552 $18,362,124 $17,191,217 Revenue ($3,678,295) ($3,678,295) ($3,085,438) ($3,085,438) ($3,085,438) Net $10,423,032 $11,706,340 $17,037,114 $15,276,686 $14,105,779
*Based on fiscal 2018/19 adjusted based on normalized vacancies
1.4.1 Recommendation
Selecting a policing model for Airdrie is obviously not a light decision. There are multiple contexts and complex issues to consider. In addition, policing in Airdrie, like most cities, is one of the top expenditures by the city every year. The policing model can have a material effect on a city’s budget. It can also be a polarizing decision within a community.
There is no immediate need for Airdrie to change its policing model based upon current satisfaction surveys, crime trends and statistics and the RCMP’s ability to provide value in relation to cost. The current environment related to the global COVID pandemic is not conducive to immediate change. There are significant unknowns regarding how the world operates going forward. The financial strain of COVID-related programming and subsidies will likely affect government budgets for years to come. Airdrie’s current RCMP contract provides knowns to assist with the vast array of unknowns within the foreseeable future.
There are, however, concerns regarding the RCMP’s suitability to police for Airdrie in the long term. Concerns around recruiting, communication, transparency and the ability to be nimble and innovative. Therefore, the proposed recommendation encompasses a multi-year timeline that affords Airdrie the advantage of learning from others, working on how it interacts with the RCMP, beginning to set aside transition and additional funds and allow for additional public input and reflection. The recommendation includes not making an immediate change to the current policing model but deploying the following, or a combination of the following courses of action:
1) Watch and learn what can be gleaned from the Surrey transition. Surrey’s ongoing transition from the RCMP to a municipal service can provide Airdrie significant ‘lessons learned’. There will also be significant value in monitoring Surrey’s transition plan against their actual transition costs (originally estimated at $45 million of which a significant portion was IT related). Recent consultations with those close to Surrey indicate that the transition has less momentum than it had to start, specifically as the degree to which property taxes are expected to increase is better understood.
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a) Surrey’s transition plan indicates a transition in April of 2021 (agreement allows for 25 months after giving notice to RCMP). Recent consultations and news releases indicate that Surrey will likely not meet that target date and may operate with a blended operation for a period. 2) Gather what can be learned from Surrey’s first year or two of operations. There will be value in understanding what areas Surrey feels they have been able to improve, and areas where they believe they continue to struggle. This may indicate areas that are related the model itself and which are policing challenges in general. Questions to answer will include. i) How has public opinion changed? ii) Have major policing metrics changed? iii) How have costs changed? iv) How has mayor and council’s ability to provide input changed? 3) In the meantime, consider the use of a third-party moderator at Municipal Advisory Board Meetings and with the RCMP relationship in general a) Other municipalities have utilized a third-party moderator to assist the municipality with executing its rights within their MPSA. These are typically retired RCMP members with experience from both perspectives of the MPSA and/or PPSA. Moderators can also aid with creating a process framework that relies less on the relationship with the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) and more on process-driven framework so that interactions remain consistent, regardless of the commander. 4) Begin to prepare for a potential transition by putting funds in reserve for transition costs a) There are approximately 3 - 4 years between Surrey completing its transition plan and operating independently for an additional 2 years. Airdrie can utilize this time frame to create a transition or reserve fund to prepare for anticipated costs. Airdrie would have to set aside $1.25 million annually over 4 years to set aside a $5 million transition fund. b) These funds can be reallocated if Airdrie decides to take a different direction. Either for general use or into community safety related programming such as community safety officers, addictions outreach or related resources. 5) Continue to engage the public and provide transparent information throughout. This report will provide the public with information to provide informed input to the City a) The public’s perception regarding their safety is key to whether a City is deemed ‘safe’ – perception is reality. b) Utilize this report to provide an order of magnitude cost estimate for the public regarding the cost of policing provider options c) There will be a cost increase if Airdrie transitions to a municipal police service. The public needs to understand what they are getting in return. 6) If there is still significant reason or desire to change at that time – be bold – do not create a municipal version of the police service that exists. Create a police service for the future. For example: a) Integrate civilians and non-sworn officers into community policing, patrols and call responses. i) Integrate the municipal enforcement officers into patrols.
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ii) Integrate other specialists into the organization as required such as addictions, homelessness and mental health. Work with organizations that provide these services but hire your own if you can’t get the service you require. b) Use data to focus on proactive crime prevention, not crime response
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MNR.
\_....,____ _.,.,) City of Airdrie
Policing Delivery Model Study Final Report
July 2020
A1 CITY OR IE
COMMUNOTY &~~ORTUNOTY PREPARED BY
MNP LLP
53 CITY OF AIRDRIE `
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary ...... 1 1.1 Project Objectives ...... 1 1.2 Current State Assessment and Analysis ...... 2 1.2.1 What We Heard ...... 2 1.2.2 What the Data Says ...... 4 1.3 Police Service Model Options ...... 8 1.3 .1 Regional Police Service ...... 8 1.3.2 Alternative Contract Service Provider (Calgary Police Service (CPS)) ...... 9 1.3.3 Municipal Model– Full-Service ...... 10 1.3.4 Municipal Model – Hybrid Service ...... 13 1.4 Conclusion and Recommendations ...... 15 1.4.1 Recommendation ...... 16 2 Introduction and Background ...... 19 2.1 Project Objectives ...... 19 3 Evaluation Framework, Approach and Methodology ...... 20 3.1 Evaluation Objective Framework ...... 20 3.1.1 Service ...... 20 3.1.2 Governance ...... 20 3.1.3 Financial...... 20 3.2 Approach and Methodology ...... 20 3.2.1 Data Requests ...... 22 3.2.2 Stakeholder Interviews ...... 23 3.2.3 Public Consultation ...... 24 3.2.4 RCMP Satisfaction Survey ...... 26 3.2.5 Other Jurisdictional Research ...... 27 4 Current State ...... 28 4.1 Services ...... 28 4.1.1 Staffing Levels ...... 28 4.1 .2 Service Offerings...... 33 4.1.3 Service Standards ...... 39 4.1.4 Public Safety Activity Statistics ...... 41 4.2 Governance ...... 45 4.2.1 Municipal Advisory Board ...... 46 4.2.2 City of Airdrie Employees ...... 46
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4.3 Financial Information ...... 46 4.3.1 RCMP Expenditures ...... 47 4.3.2 Civilian Staff Expenditures ...... 49 4.3.3 Municipal Enforcement Expenditures ...... 50 4.3.4 Building and Maintenance Expenditures ...... 51 4.3 .5 Protective Services Expenditure Summary ...... 51 4.3.6 Revenue ...... 52 4.3 .7 Capital Expenditures ...... 54 5 Current State Assessment ...... 55 5.1 Service Delivery ...... 55 5.1.1 Strengths ...... 55 5.1.2 Weaknesses ...... 56 5.1 .3 Analysis ...... 58 5.1.4 Benchmarking ...... 64 5.1.5 Service Analysis Summary ...... 72 5.2 Governance ...... 73 5.2.1 Strengths ...... 73 5.2.2 Weaknesses ...... 74 5.2 .3 Analysis ...... 75 5.2.4 Governance Analysis Summary ...... 76 5.3 Financial ...... 77 5.3 .1 Strengths ...... 77 5.3.2 Challenges ...... 77 5.3.3 Analysis ...... 78 5.3.4 Benchmarking ...... 86 5.3.5 Current State Financial Analysis Summary ...... 91 5.4 Future Considerations ...... 92 6 Model Options ...... 94 6.1 Regional Police Service ...... 94 6.2 Alternative Contract Service Provider ...... 95 6.2 .1 Service Delivery ...... 95 6.2 .2 Governance ...... 99 6.2.3 Financial...... 100 6.3 Municipal Policing Models ...... 101 6.3 .1 Municipal Policing Model – Full Service ...... 101 6.3.2 Hybrid Policing Model ...... 120 7 Conclusion ...... 133 7.1 Service ...... 133
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7.1.1 Service Summary ...... 134 7.2 Governance ...... 135 7.2.1 Governance Summary ...... 136 7.3 Financial ...... 136 7.4 The National Police Federation ...... 137 7.4.1 Salary Considerations ...... 138 7.5 Conclusion and Recommendations ...... 139 7.5.1 Recommendation ...... 140 Appendices ...... 143 Appendix A. Research Framework ...... 143 Appendix B. Stakeholder Interview Guide ...... 145 Appendix C. Calgary Police Service Interview Guide ...... 148 Appendix D. Online Public Survey Questions ...... 155 Appendix E. City of Airdrie Townhall Flyer ...... 159 Appendix F. City of Airdrie Crime Statistics 2013-2018 ...... 160 Appendix G. RCMP Satisfaction Survey 2019 Results ...... 162 Appendix H. Online Public Survey Results ...... 164 Appendix I. List of CPS Services ...... 173 Appendix J. RFP Questions ...... 179 References ...... 182
TABLE OF FIGURES
Tables
Table 1 – Internal and External Stakeholder Interviews ...... 23 Table 2 – Public Stakeholder Interviews ...... 25 Table 3 – Communities Reviewed for Other Jurisdictional Research ...... 27 Table 4 – FTEs for RCMP, Municipal Enforcement and RCMP Support Staff (2014-2019) ...... 29 Table 5 – FTEs for Community Safety and Protective Services in the City of Airdrie as at 10/02/2020 ...... 29 Table 6 – Vacancies for RCMP, Municipal Enforcement and RCMP Detachment Support Staff from 2014-2018 ...... 32
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Table 7 – RCMP Detachment Support Staff Roles and Responsibilities...... 36 Table 8 – Criminal Statistics from 2014-2018 ...... 41 Table 9 – Other Police Activities from 2014-2018 ...... 41 Table 10 – Police Activities per 100,000 Population ...... 42 Table 11 – Commercial Vehicle Checks and Tickets Issued for Infractions from 2015-2019 ...... 43 Table 12 – Municipal Enforcement General Bylaw and Animal Related Activities from 2015-2019 ...... 43 Table 13 – Number of Licenses Distributed by the City of Airdrie Annually form 2015-2019 ...... 44 Table 14 – Tickets Issued by Municipal Enforcement Officers from 2015-2019 ...... 44 Table 15 – Municipal Enforcement Calls, Emails and File Creation from 2015-2019 ...... 45 Table 16 – Summary Expenditures and Revenue ...... 46 Table 17 – RCMP Expenditures (2014/15-2018/19) ...... 48 Table 18 – RCMP Detachment Civilian Staff Expenditures (2014/15-2018/19) ...... 49 Table 19 – Municipal Enforcement Expenditures (2014/15-2018/19) ...... 50 Table 20 – Building and Maintenance Expenditures (2014/15-2018/19)...... 51 Table 21 – Revenue (2014/15-2018/19) ...... 52 Table 22 – Capital Expenditures (2014/15-2018/19) ...... 54 Table 23 – RCMP Authorized Strength, Utilization and Vacancies for RCMP (2014-2019) ...... 59 Table 24 – Percentage Change in Population, Authorized Strength and Working Members 2014- 2018 ...... 60 Table 25 – Percentage Change in Population and Police Activities 2014-2018 ...... 60 Table 26 – City of Airdrie's Crime Severity Index from 2014-2018 ...... 61 Table 27 – RCMP Municipal Police Resource Comparison (Average from 2014-2018) , ...... 64 Table 28 – Municipal Police Service Police Resource Comparison (Average 2014-2018)12,13 ...... 65 Table 29 – RCMP Municipal Benchmarking Comparators (Averages from 2014-2018)12,13 ...... 66 Table 30 – Municipal Benchmarking Comparators (Averages from 2014-2018) 13 ...... 68 Table 31 – Number of Incidents for Rural and Municipal Airdrie RCMP ...... 71 Table 32 – Average Police and Civilian Employees for Municipal Police Services Compared to Airdrie (Averages from 2014-2018) ...... 72 Table 33 – Governance Structure for the RCMP versus Municipal Police Service ...... 75 Table 34 – Annual Percent Change in Total Expenditures and Revenue by Cost Area ...... 78 Table 35 – Airdrie Protective Services Cost/Capita (2014/15-2018/19) ...... 79 Table 36 – Member Pay per Working Member ...... 81 Table 37 – Division Administration Costs per Working Member ...... 82
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Table 38 – Employee Benefits per Working Member...... 82 Table 39 – Civilian Salaries, Wages and Benefits per Working Member ...... 84 Table 40 – Civilian Overtime per Working Member ...... 84 Table 41 – Municipal Enforcement Salaries, Wages and Benefits per Working Member ...... 85 Table 42 – Municipal Enforcement Overtime per Working Member ...... 85 Table 43 – Municipal Police Service Expenditures Per capita Comparison (2015-2018) ...... 86 Table 44 – Municipal Police Service Revenue Per capita Comparison (2015-2018) ...... 87 Table 45 – RCMP Policed Communities Benchmarking ...... 88 Table 46 – City of Airdrie Properties 2014-2020 ...... 90 Table 47 – Estimated 2020 CFS costs for the City of Airdrie ...... 90 Table 48 – Summary Table for Estimated 2020 OPP Policing Model Costs for the City of Airdrie . 91 Table 49 – Average Annual Cost Increase and Cost Increase per Capita for Airdrie ...... 91 Table 50 – Calgary Population Growth and Number of Police Officers and CPS Civilian Staff from 2014-2018 (Statistics Canada) ...... 97 Table 51 – City of Airdrie Population Growth and Number of Police Officers from 2014-2018 (Statistics Canada) ...... 97 Table 52 – Calgary Police Officer and Civilian Staff versus Population Information from 2014-2018 ...... 97 Table 53 – City of Airdrie Police Officer and Civilian Staff versus Population Information from 2014-2018 ...... 98 Table 54 – Calgary and City of Airdrie Crime Incidents per Population and Officer from 2014-2018 ...... 98 Table 55 – Number of CPS Officers and Civilian Staff in Airdrie under CPS Policing Model at Current CPS Service Levels ...... 98 Table 56 – Crime Incidents per CPS Officer for the City of Airdrie under CPS Policing Model at Current CPS Service Levels ...... 99 Table 57 – Airdrie Estimated Cost for the CPS as a Service Provider at Current CPS Cop/100,000 Pop ...... 100 Table 58 – Airdrie Estimated Cost for the CPS as a Service Provider at Airdrie Cop/100,000 Pop 100 Table 59 – Airdrie Municipal Police Service Model Staffing Detail ...... 107 Table 60 – Municipal Service Model Transition Costs ...... 113 Table 61 – Municipal Service Model Transition Costs (retain RCMP cars and equipment) ...... 114 Table 62 – Airdrie Municipal Model Police Service Estimated Annual Operating Costs ...... 115 Table 63 – Municipal Police Service – Assumed – Average Annual Salary by Rank ...... 117 Table 64 – Overtime and Operating Costs for Municipal Model ...... 119
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Table 65 – Contracted Specialized Policing Service Costs ...... 120 Table 66 – Airdrie Hybrid Municipal Police Service Model Staffing Detail ...... 121 Table 67 – Contracted Specialized Services...... 125 Table 68 – Hybrid Service Model Transition Costs (retain RCMP cars and equipment) ...... 127 Table 69 – Airdrie Hybrid Municipal Model Police Service Estimated Annual Operating Costs ... 128 Table 70 – Municipal Police Service Average Annual Salary by Rank ...... 130 Table 71 – Overtime and Operating Costs that Differ for the Hybrid Model ...... 131 Table 72 – Contracted Specialized Policing Service Costs ...... 132 Table 73 – Summary Comparison of Option Staffing Levels ...... 135 Table 74 – Summary Comparison of Options Estimated Expenditures (including Municipal Enforcement) ...... 137 Table 75 – CPS Salary Equivalents for RCMP 2018/19 ...... 138 Table 76 – Union and CPS Equivalent Estimates for Salary, Benefits, and Overtime Costs Compared to Current RCMP Costs ...... 138 Table 77 – Comparison of Costs for Each Model Including Potential RCMP Salary Increases Due to NPF Negotiations ...... 139
Figures
Figure 1 – Overtime Cost/Working Member and % Utilization of Authorized Strength ...... 7 Figure 2 – City of Airdrie RCMP Organizational Chart (2019-01-09) ...... 31 Figure 3 – City of Airdrie RCMP Detachment Support Staff and Municipal Enforcement Organizational Chart (2019-08-01) ...... 32 Figure 4 – Crime Statistics and Other Police Activities in Airdrie from 2014-2018 ...... 42 Figure 5 – Average Percentage of Expenditures ...... 52 Figure 7 – Summary Financials for the City of Airdrie’s Protective Services Branch ...... 53 Figure 8 – Airdrie Municipal RCMP Authorized Strength, Utilization and Vacancies ...... 59 Figure 9 – Total Crime and Activity per Officer in the City of Airdrie from 2014-2018 ...... 61 Figure 10 – City of Airdrie's Crime Severity Index 2014-2018 ...... 62 Figure 11 – RCMP Police Communities’ Officer per 100,000 Population and Crime Severity Index Compared to Airdrie ...... 66 Figure 12 – Criminal Incidents per 100,000 and Officers per 100,000 for RCMP Policed Communities Compared to the City of Airdrie ...... 67 Figure 13 – Officers per 100,000 Population and Weighted Clearance Rates for RCMP Policed Communities Compared to the City of Airdrie ...... 67
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Figure 14 – Municipal Police Services’ Officer per 100,000 Population and Crime Severity Compared to Airdrie ...... 69 Figure 15 – Criminal Incidents per 100,000 and Officers per 100,000 for Municipal Police Services Compared to the City of Airdrie ...... 69 Figure 16 – Officers per 100,000 and Weighted Clearance Rates for Municipal Police Services Compared to the City of Airdrie ...... 70 Figure 17 – Variability in Spending Versus Total Annual Spend Example ...... 80 Figure 18 – Variability in Average Spending Versus Total Average Annual Spend...... 81 Figure 19 – Overtime Cost/Working Member and % Utilization of Authorized Strength ...... 83 Figure 20 – Annual Change in Overtime and Utilization ...... 83 Figure 21 – Average Percentage of Civilian Staff Expenditures ...... 84 Figure 22 – Average Percentage of Municipal Enforcement Expenditures ...... 85 Figure 23 – Average Expenditure per Capita for Policing Services in Various Cities (2015-2018) .. 87 Figure 24 – Average Revenue per Capita for Policing Services in Various Cities (2015-2018) ...... 88 Figure 25 – Cost per Capita for Communities Policed by the RCMP ...... 89 Figure 26 – City of Airdrie Municipal Policing Model High-Level Organizational Chart ...... 104
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Airdrie (City) is reviewing all programs and priorities delivered through the enforcement section of its Protective Services Team (Municipal Enforcement (ME) and the RCMP). This review is in response to the City’s growing population, size and complexity. Growth is expected to continue, and this review and report are necessary to identify challenges that might exist with current services and provide recommendations for the City moving forward.
There are several questions that the City posed within the RFP for this project. Although answers to these questions appear within the report to varying degrees, these questions are specifically addressed in Appendix J. These questions include:
• Is there a point where the City of Airdrie would outgrow having an RCMP detachment? • Do the City of Airdrie’s priorities begin to conflict with RCMP national and divisional policies? • Does the RCMP have the ability to keep pace with technology both in investigations and in equipment? • How can a national policing model meet the needs and priorities for Airdrie as a City that has its own unique culture and characteristics that make it “The Place to Be” in Canada? • Is the City of Airdrie prepared, for the current and future policing environment? • Do municipalities with different policing delivery models get different value for their investments? • With constant change at the Provincial and Federal level, does the current police service model perform at a high level and does it provide high-level value for money? • How does the City of Airdrie’s policing model compare with other police agencies from key performance indicators such as clearance rates and calls for service? Throughout the duration of the engagement, MNP’s project team endeavored to answer these questions by gathering information from a variety of sources to provide a clear understanding of the benefits and challenges of the current policing model and to inform a path forward that is aligned with the City’s objectives and goals.
1.1 Project Objectives
Therefore, overarching goals and objectives of this study and report are to: 1. Complete a service review of the current policing model and other potential policing model options for the City of Airdrie 2. Complete a governance review of the current policing model and other policing model options for the City of Airdrie 3. Provide the City of Airdrie with recommendations for a future policing delivery model based on the information collected through the service and governance reviews
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1.2 Current State Assessment and Analysis
The following subsections and the bullets contained within describe the current state model, both what was heard from stakeholders and the public as well as information garnered from available data and analysis of that data. Participants in the stakeholder consultation interviews are defined in section 3.2.2.
1.2.1 What We Heard
The following bullets demonstrate positive comments raised in stakeholder consultations:
• In general, stakeholders acknowledge that RCMP service delivery has been good The reputation of the RCMP and Municipal Enforcement and the • Front-counter staff is excellent and their ability to start files service they provide is perceived to be and hand them off creates efficiencies strong with a strong majority of • The co-location of ME and RCMP in the same building is a survey respondents stating that benefit service was either acceptable, good • Community liaison officers in the schools have been beneficial or very good to the community
The following bullets outline the commendations by the public through the online survey and townhall session:
• 80% of survey respondents indicated that the quality of services provided by the RCMP were acceptable, good or very good • 68% of survey respondents indicated that the quality of enforcement services provided by the ME Officers were acceptable, good or very good • Common positive responses regarding the RCMP include: o Professional and helpful o Access to services that would be expensive to do as a municipal service o Strong reputation / face for the community • Common positive responses regarding the ME Team include: o Good complement to the RCMP o Caring and friendly o Responsive to community needs
The following bullets demonstrate concerns raised in stakeholder consultations:
• High rate of turnover for Commanding Officers (COs) and RCMP officers • Inconsistencies between Cos, the way they operate the detachment and their level and frequency of communication with the City • Constant requests from the RCMP for more resources (i.e. request for higher authorized strength) even though the RCMP have not been able to achieve authorized strength • Priorities perceived to be driven by Edmonton (Division) or even Ottawa (National)
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• Communication and radio systems issues – multiple radio systems and lack of ME access to RCMP radio channel • Perception of fairness with which rural and municipal officers are deployed for service provision – concerns that municipal officers are responding to rural calls for service • Desire to see more proactive outreach and community The most common theme is that presence many City stakeholders do not • Human resource issues for city employees working within RCMP believe the City is able to assert a environment but reporting to the City creates friction, level of influence over policing service frustration and misalignment delivery that is commensurate with • ME officers are not utilized to their fullest potential within the the proportion of the cost of policing current structure – with more communication and coordination the City pays. ME officers could be better utilized • Lack of transparent information and information sharing – only some employees given access to CPIC even when they have the same security clearance • CO’s dissatisfaction with RCMP dispatch services has resulted in the addition of Watch Clerks at the cost of the City The City has been challenged with • The City must train RCMP administrative employees to work in designing and implementing several the RCMP environment initiatives because they do not fit with RCMP policy or directives. • Influence not commensurate with RCMP budget o Major spending decisions are perceived to be made without consultation o Perception that RCMP don’t fully pay attention to City concerns and give them consideration o The City finds that RCMP invoices are not immediately transparent as to the costs charged to the City • The City feels that they don’t get to control how money is spent and they get little say – it is often perceived that the RCMP are not providing robust business cases as to why they are asking for more resources • Financial planning and budgeting are not aligned. • Stakeholders provided examples of funding requests from the RCMP that are perceived to duplicate efforts already underway by the City or other organizations within the City o E.g. Youth and domestic violence initiatives
The following bullets outline the concerns provided by the public through the online survey and townhall session:
• The majority of survey respondents are either unsure / do not know (33%) or took a neutral stance (36%) regarding whether or not the Municipal Advisory Board allows for the provision of input, flexibility, autonomy, consultation and internal review processes • Common themes surrounding areas of improvement for the RCMP include: o Slow response times o Lack of positive personal interaction / community orientation
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o Not enough visibility o Reactive not proactive • Common themes surrounding areas of improvement for the ME Team include: o Need for better bylaw enforcement o Slow response times o Redundancies in service already provided by the RCMP • 36% of respondents indicated that they believe the City spends 36% of respondents indicated that too little on policing services and just under half of respondents they believe the City spends too little (46%) agreed that they should pay more for additional on policing services and just under governance control and flexibility, with only 17% disagreeing half of respondents (46%) agreed and 36% taking a neutral stance that they should pay more for additional governance control and • Less than half of survey respondents (44%) indicated that the flexibility, with only 17% disagreeing services provided by the RCMP meet the needs of Airdrie and 36% taking a neutral stance. (Agree or Strongly Agree), with 25% of respondents taking a
neutral stance • Only a third (34%) of survey respondents indicated that the services provided by the ME Team meet the needs of Airdrie Although a strong majority of survey (Agree or Strongly Agree), with 30% of respondents taking a respondents indicated the service neutral stance that the RCMP and ME provides is good, a much smaller proportion 1.2.2 What the Data Says indicated that the services provided by both meet the City’s needs. • Airdrie’s population during the study period (2014/15 – 2018/19) has grown at an average rate of 5% annually. RCMP authorized strength has grown at 12% annually and the number Policing activity has been increasing of working members has grown by 11% annually. at an average annual rate of 1% on a o There are more officers per capita in Airdrie today than per capita basis while authorized there were in 2014/15 strength and the number of working • Total crime stats and police activities (e.g. provincial statutes Members has grown at an average (traffic tickets), false alarms, bylaws etc.) have increased at an annual rate of 12% and 11% average annual rate of 6%, relatively commensurate with respectively. population change over the same timeframe o Because working officer rate has grown faster than population and activity statistics, total activity per Population growth is averaging 5% officer has decreased over the period of study (Figure annually within the study period 8) while crime and police activities are • Airdrie’s crime severity index (CSI) has been decreasing growing at a rate of 6%. throughout the period of study as have its two major components, violent crime CSI and non-violent crime CSI. o In contrast, Alberta’s CSI has an increasing trend over the same period (Figure 9)
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• In 2018, the average rate of police strength per 100,000 population across Canada was 185 officers, the City of Airdrie is The average number of police officers well below the national average with an estimated 81 police per 100,000 in Canada was 185 in officers per 100,000 (Table 27) 2018 – Airdrie is well below the o Must be noted that Municipal Enforcement officers are average at 81. performing tasks and responding to calls that are responded to by police officers in other communities • When analyzed across several statistics, Airdrie’s number of officers, number of incidents per officer and CSI ‘fit’ statistically o Airdrie had the lowest officers per capita within the benchmarked municipalities, both for the RCMP and municipal police services, Airdrie also had the lowest CSI (Figure 10 and Figure 13) o Airdrie had the second lowest criminal incidents per 100,000 of the benchmarked RCMP policed communities, and the third lowest criminal incidents per 100,000 of the benchmarked municipal police serviced communities which also corresponds with its lowest officer per capita (Figure 11 and Figure Airdrie’s number of officers per 14) population, civilians per population, o Airdrie has a relatively high clearance rate compared to CSI, and number of incidents “fit” officer per capita (Figure 12 and Figure 15) against their benchmarked counterparts – particularly those • In general, municipal police services have significantly more policed by the RCMP. officers per capita than RCMP policing municipalities
Sharing Resources
• Data to be compare the calls for service municipal officers and rural officers are assigned to was limited; however, utilizing publicly available data it was shown that approximately 74% of the calls are municipal and 80% of the officers are municipal, whereas 26% of the calls are rural, while 20% of the officers are rural. The municipal CSI averaged 58.06 during the period of study, while the rural CSI averaged 167.76 during the period of study. Therefore, “workload” of rural officers could be deemed higher, however there is no overwhelming evidence that has been provided to prove municipal officers have been disproportionately assisting rural officers on their calls for service.
Civilian Staff
• Civilians comprise 26% of total FTEs excluding ME. The national average for Canada in 2011 was 28% and 25% in Alberta. Airdrie Airdrie’s civilian staff compliment is civilian to sworn member staff ratio is very comparable to very comparable to available benchmarked cities where related data was available. benchmarks
Municipal Enforcement
• ME team conducts 32 commercial vehicle checks annually with an average of 18 tickets issued annually throughout the study period • Total bylaw and animal complaint activities performed by ME officers have increased by an average rate of 4% annually over the period of study o The majority of the calls for service in this area are for general bylaw
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• The volume of licenses issued by the City has increased by an average of 3% annually during the period of study; however, only a portion of these would be attributed to ME officers o Most of these licenses are animal licenses • The volume of tickets issued by ME officers have remained relatively consistent during the period of study – approximately 73% of these tickets are provincial, the remainder are bylaw • Calls for service numbers for ME officer has decreased on average 2% during the period of study; however, it is acknowledged that during certain hours of the day ME officers are self-dispatching and many of these calls are not properly recorded o It is acknowledged that ME requires a more robust file and data tracking system to be able to provide fulsome statistics and data for analysis
Financials
• Overall Protective Services costs have increased on average by 13% annually during the period of study. o RCMP 16% o Civilian 13% Costs have been increasing at an o ME 4% average annual rate of 13% while revenues have been increasing o Building & Maintenance 12% annually at 10% o Total Expenditures 13% o Revenue 10% • Protective services expenditures are outpacing population Protective services expenditures are growth and therefore cost per capita has been increasing at a outpacing population growth and rate of 7% during the period of study. therefore cost per capita have been • RCMP expenditures are increasing at the highest average annual increasing at an average annual rate at 10%, followed by civilian costs at 9% and building and rate of 7% during the period of maintenance costs at 7%. ME expenditures have decreased on a study per capita basis during the period of study. • The most salient cost items based upon average annual increase and their composition within total RCMP spending include: o Member pay – increasing at 12% average annual increase and driven by an 11% increase in the volume of working members. Per member pay expenses have grown on average 1% annually during the study period. o Division administration – increasing at a 14% average annual increase and driven by the 11% increase in the volume of working members. Division administration per working members has increased on average 6% annually during the study period. o Employee benefits plan – increasing at a 14% average annual increase and driven by the 11% increase in the volume of working members. Employee benefits per working members has increased on average 1% annually during the study period. o Overtime – overtime expenditures account for 11% of total annual cost, overtime has increased from $430,000 in fiscal 2014/15 to $1.3 million in 2018/19, and average annual increase of 33%.
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▪ Overtime costs per working member have increase from $11,900 per working member in 2014/15 to $24,000 in 2018/19 (see Figure 1). ▪ NOTE: Roughly half of all overtime is associated with revenue-generating programs as well as coverage for low utilization rates. Figure 1 – Overtime Cost/Working Member and % Utilization of Authorized Strength
$30,000 100%
$25,000 95%
$20,000 90% $15,000 85% $10,000
80% $5,000
$0 75% 14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19
% Utilization/Auth Strength OT/RM - • Civilian salaries and benefits per working member have increased by 2% annually during the period of study, overtime has increased by 32% and overtime per FTE has increased 15% during the same period. • ME salaries, wages and benefits have increased 3% annually during the period of study, while overtime has increased 8% and overtime per FTE 5% during the same period. • Airdrie’s policing costs per capita during the period of study has averaged $186.10 and have increased at an average annual rate of 4% during the period of study. This cost per capita is significantly lower than many of the benchmarking municipalities: o Medicine Hat = $387.18 (Municipal) Airdrie Protective Services cost per o Calgary = $383.19 (Municipal) capita over study period – $186.10 o Brandon = $304.78 (Municipal) Municipal comparator average – $350 o Red Deer = $380 (RCMP) o Grande Prairie = $429 (RCMP) RCMP Comparator Average – $244 o Maple Ridge = $252 (RCMP) Red Deer (recent report) – $380 o Coquitlam = $215 (RCMP) • Revenue generation per capita in Airdrie has averaged $49.64 during the period of study. The average of municipalities for which data was available was $54.14.
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1.3 Police Service Model Options
The following subsections and the bullets contained within highlight findings from the study including the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the models.
1.3.1 Regional Police Service
• The notion of a regional police service comprised of communities in proximity to Calgary has existed for some time. The Calgary Metropolitan Region Board consists of representatives from ten municipalities mandated to develop a long-term plan for managed, sustainable growth in the Calgary region. • The regionalization of police services in Alberta is governed under Section 24 of the Police Act. It states, in general, that the councils of two or more municipalities may enter into an agreement to be policed by one regional police service. • Although there are likely efficiencies to be gained by pooling collective resources and creating a larger police service to serve the nine municipalities involved (one of the ten is Calgary), the concept may have challenges that make it both a long way out in its implementation and make it challenging from a governance perspective. The following issues have been discussed with subject matter experts and stakeholders: o There are significant variations in the municipalities that a regional service would have to deal with. For example, Chestermere is connected to Calgary, for all intents and purposes, while Airdrie and Cochrane have distinct rural gaps between themselves and Calgary. Even more so, Wheatland County has areas significantly more rural that other municipalities, including regions that are sparsely populated. It creates a very large and diverse geography to police that may not make a regional model any more effective and efficient than what exists today. o There are several municipalities involved, each with its own distinct desires and goals. Creating a regionalized police service would require “starting from scratch” to the greater degree. This is likely to have two effects: ▪ It would take a significant amount of effort and time to come to some agreement on how a regionalized police service would work and get funded. Then it would require the time to receive ministerial approval. ▪ The complexity of the required governance structure may be significant enough that Airdrie finds itself in a governance mechanism that is perceived to be less effective than the one they have today. • As such, there is the distinct opinion that such a regional model would be years and years away if at all viable. In addition, it is commonly viewed as a potential governance quagmire. Therefore, this model was not pursued for further analysis.
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1.3.2 Alternative Contract Service Provider (Calgary Police Service (CPS))
• Airdrie’s proximity to Calgary makes access to the robust Calgary Police Service a viable option as an alternative to their current policing model. • The Calgary Police Service is a highly trained and respected The CPS is a highly trained and police service with a fulsome array of services to provide. respected police service with a Calgary continues to receive relatively high satisfaction survey fulsome array of services to provide. results from Calgarians. • Discussions with CPS have resulted in the confidence that CPS could provide service to Airdrie by adding it as a separate but attached district. • Airdrie’s population has been increasing by an average of 5% annually since 2014; therefore, if the CPS were to police the City of Airdrie maintaining the proportion of police officers and civilian staff per population, there would be 111 police officers servicing Airdrie and 54 civilian staff. • However, the CPS model for Airdrie has been built out to determine the costs of CPS providing policing service at Airdrie’s current officer per capita ratio. The level of officers deployed could be fine tuned depending on the level of service Airdrie wishes to receive. • Section 22 of the Police Act addresses “Municipal Policing by another police service” and specifically allows for the council of a municipality to enter into an agreement with the council of another municipality for the provision of policing services – with Ministerial approval. • The Police Act requires a policing committee of no fewer than 3 and no more than 12 individuals. The Calgary Police Commission (CPC) currently has 11 members, 9 citizens and 2 city councillors – the structure of which is defined by a city by-law. This by-law would have to be amended if it was decided it was required to facilitate Airdrie participation. • There is not currently a definitive answer as to how Airdrie would or could participate in the governance of the CPS. Suggestions included having an Airdrie Citizen on the CPC or having an Airdrie Policing Committee that provides guidance to CPC or a combination of the two.
• It is noted that this arrangement may provide only a marginal Noted that this arrangement is still a governance improvement to Airdrie’s current situation. Airdrie contract and may be only a marginal would continue to be in a contractual relationship with a improvement on the status quo. separate agency that provides its policing service. Participation in the CPC would afford true governance participation over and above the current contractual leverage that currently exists. However, it is noted that the risk remains that Airdrie’s ability to assert influence on either the governance or contractual elements may be limited. • Calgary’s current policing costs under the CPS are approximately $400 per capita – significantly higher than Airdrie’s current costs. CPS is a robust, full-service policing organization that operates and maintains all aspects of its requirements internally. o A cost for CPS to police Airdrie at the same level of service, including officers per capita, and the resulting costs are estimated at $26.2 million for 2018 – compared to a cost of the RCMP in 2018 of $9.3 million.
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o However, the CPS estimated cost is approximately $12 million in 2018 (estimate $14.1 million in 2020) when adjusted to better reflect Airdrie’s current officer per capita ratio. This would include access to all the special services that CPS currently provides Calgary.
1.3.3 Municipal Model– Full-Service
• The municipal model aims to replace as many of the services provided by the RCMP in the status quo with only a few It is expected that Airdrie would exceptions. It is reasonable to believe that a municipal service continue to receive a high level of will provide as good of service to Airdrie as the current model – service from a Municipal model. particularly when it pertains to general patrol and frontline services. • Patrol Operations o Frontline Policing ▪ The frontline patrol team generally reflects the current model o Municipal Enforcement ▪ In this model the ME team is integrated directly into the frontline policing teams o Dispatch Team ▪ A 24/7 dispatch team has been added in the full-service model and will require dedicated space and purchase of technology systems to support this work. • Specialized Support Services o Special Operations – Emergency Management, Canine and Tactical Team ▪ A specialized unit has been created to provide frontline policing support for tactical support, emergency management response and canine. CPS resources would be used for emergency event management or air support. o Investigations Team ▪ Dedicated investigation unit similar to the current structure. Resources have been changed to detective level and would be specially trained and focus solely on investigative efforts. o Forensic Identification Team ▪ A forensic identification team has been added to support the frontline and investigative unit. This team will need a dedicated space that will require renovations to existing space as well as the purchase of specialized equipment and software. o Crime Analytics Team ▪ This team will be embedded within the Investigations Team and overseen by a specialized Detective level resource. o Community Policing Team ▪ The Community Policing Team would provide similar service to the current service provision although two (2) constable positions who would have been School Resource Officers, would be transitioned to ME Officer positions.
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• Corporate Services – Organizational Support o Several additional resources would be required to support the overall organization in the areas of human resources, finance, communications, fleet and equipment management, IT, professional standards (including policies and procedures) and governance or police board support. • The full-service model provides flexibility for the service to adjust services or change the focus and make- up of resources as needed. This initial sample model is largely based on the current services Airdrie is receiving and therefore similar resources to provide those services. If Airdrie created its own police service, the service need would be evaluated and adjusted at that time and the specific resources to provide those services would be determined thusly. Municipal Full-Service Status Quo Sworn Officers 75.0 67.0 Municipal Enforcement Staff 17.0 16.5 Civilian 45.5 25.5 Total 137.5 109.0 • The full-service municipal model was designed to internalize several of the special services that the current RCMP municipal service would not have directly at the detachment level but If there is a service risk to this model, access from centralized RCMP resources. There are a few of it is that some speciality services may these specialized services that require a significant investment in not gain exposure to certain types of equipment, resources or training yet are intermittent in crime, investigations or activities. need. These are assumed to be contracted out on an as need basis to an outside police service (CPS, for example). o Air Services o Crisis Intervention o Search and Rescue Based upon the concerns expressed by o Emergency Response Team (ERT)/Critical Incident the City, a municipal model, with a Program true governance structure, would provide the influence it seeks, albeit at • Section 23 of the Police Act defines the requirements for a the cost of absorbing the municipal police service to have a policing committee. The commensurate liability of doing so. committee shall consist of not less than 3 and not more than 12 members. • Subsection 14 of section 14 states that a policing committee shall: o oversee the administration of the agreement made under section 22, o assist in selecting the officer in charge, o represent the interests of the council to the officer in charge, o in consultation with the officer in charge, develop a yearly plan of priorities and strategies for municipal policing,
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o issue instructions to the officer in charge respecting the implementation and operation of the yearly plan, o represent the interests and concerns of the The Municipal Model would allow public to the officer in charge, Airdrie to adopt a full governance o assist the officer in charge in resolving structure with an independent police complaints, and commission. o appoint a Public Complaint Director. • The cost estimate for the full-service municipal police model utilizes financial information from other policing services across Canada and related subject matter experts. The following assumptions are of note: o Authorized strength was used as a volume determinant ensuring that even if there were hard vacancies, there would be back-up equipment if required. o An officer to vehicle ratio of 3:1 was utilized. o Building improvements will be required for lab space and separation and updates to space for dispatch. o It has been assumed that the second floor of the current building would also be available for use (assumed district RCMP offices would vacate this space). o Both Dispatch and the lab space were estimated to need 1,000 square feet. The dispatch building improvements require typical office space improvements. An improvement cost/ square foot of $100 was estimated. o Forensics lab would require specialized space and equipment and a higher cost per square foot ($250) was used. o An estimated cost of $1 million has been included to cover costs such as: legal, marketing, communications, organizational support, change management, recruitment, as well as travel and meeting costs. o Total transition costs are estimated at approximately $5 million o Salaries and benefits were estimated using the Calgary Police Service as an order of magnitude comparator Municipal Full-Service Salaries and Benefits $17,556,302 Other Operating Costs $2,116,850 Building $299,400 Contracted Support Services $150,000 Total $20,122,552 Revenue ($3,085,438) Net $17,037,114
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1.3.4 Municipal Model – Hybrid Service
• The hybrid model is proposed to have the same service-related characteristics as the municipal model with one exception – it Independent governance does not attempts to mitigate high-risk, low-frequency events by ensure that the City can influence or contracting those to resources that deal with those services full direct the police service. The Police time. It, like the municipal model, incorporates ME officers Service governance structure is into the police response model independent of the City politics and • Like the full-service municipal model, additional resources are bureaucracy by design. required compared to the current state for 24/7 dispatch support, oversight and span of control purposes although investigative policing resources are reduced from both the current state and the municipal full-service model. • The following list summarizes the position changes in the hybrid policing model compared to the full- service model: o Similar to the current state, the Investigations Team is It is expected that Airdrie would staffed with 5 Constable level investigators overseen continue to receive a high level of by a Sergeant. Additional support would be brought in service from a Hybrid Municipal from an external contracted service provider – likely model. CPS – for larger or serious crime investigations (homicide etc.) o Instead of a Forensic Identification Team there would be one civilian resource to support evidence If there is a service risk to this model, collection – this function would be outsourced for it is that some speciality services will serious crimes rely upon an outside service for their o No additional Constables were added for Special delivery. Operations – Emergency Management, Canine and Tactical Team. It is assumed there would be internal resources with some specialized training in emergency event management and tactical support training but that this service would be provided by a contracted partner
Municipal Full- Municipal Hybrid Status Quo Service Sworn Officers 63.0 75.0 67.0 Municipal Enforcement Staff 17.0 17.0 16.5 Civilian 43.5 45.5 25.5 Total 123.5 137.5 109.0
• The governance structure for the hybrid model would be exactly same as in the full-service municipal model. The police board or commission would in this case have the added responsibility of managing a service contract with a service provider for specialty services
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o The hybrid model will have the same pros and cons from a governance perspective as the full- service municipal model. o The hybrid model will retain a contractual relationship for some services, meaning Airdrie’s leverage over the service it gets from CPS (or any other agency) will be tied to its contract with said agency. Although speculation, there is general sentiment that dealing with the CPS may be easier than with the RCMP because of proximity and shared interests. Others are concerned that’s Airdrie’s needs could get lost in a large organization whose primary accountability is to Calgary. • The methodology for calculating the operating costs for the hybrid municipal model is the same as that used for the full-service model with a few minor alterations: o Some costs/FTE were adjusted due to the difference in services provided (decreased investigative capacity for example) o Training and training travel costs for police officers were reduced in comparison to the full-service model as there would be a lower number of specialized resources and training needs o Equipment and supply and equipment repair costs were also reduced to reflect current model historical costs for the same reason as less specialized equipment would be needed with reduced investigative services. o The cost estimation for the contracted policing services was estimated using average occurrence information for Airdrie for the last 5 years and the estimated percentage of occurrences requiring specialized services and appropriate proportion of costs associated with these occurrences were estimated using other municipal service data Municipal Hybrid Salaries and Benefits $14,564,424 Other Operating Costs $1,501,300 Building $299,400 Contracted Support Services $1,997,000 Total $18,362,124 Revenue ($3,085,438) Net $15,276,686
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1.4 Conclusion and Recommendations
There are several indicators that the City of Airdrie is interested in changing police services. There is clear unrest within the City stakeholders regarding the limitations of the current police service and it not being within the City’s purview. There exists significant sentiment that the City can operate more efficiently and be more effectively if the police are within the City’s operations and not provided by an external contractor. It is acknowledged; however, that a municipal service is not a panacea. By design, a police service needs to be governed by an independent police commission whose sole mandate is to ensure the police service is providing what is required by the citizens of Airdrie – regardless of its fit with other City operations. Cities with municipal police services face some of the same challenges Airdrie faces with the RCMP. They are not all RCMP concerns, but police issues in general.
In general, all the models contained herein are expected to provide service the public would likely interpret as good even if how they do so varies. However, there are concerns regarding the RCMP’s ability to provide a high level of service to their contract policing commitments. Concerns related to recruiting and retaining officers that find the transient posting model utilized by the RCMP to be suitable, with acquiring the best tools and technology with a cumbersome and bureaucratic procurement system, of having disparate masters and priorities and questions related to the future suitability of the RCMP to perform contract policing for provinces, territories and municipalities . Although the service the RCMP is providing to Airdrie is rated as good by the public, these issues are in the background and continue to evolve.
The public survey indicates that although both the RCMP and ME service provision are regarded as good, the services they provide are perceived to be not meeting the City’s needs nearly as well. The survey also indicates that 46% of respondents would be willing to pay more for police services if it meant having more input and influence while only 17% would not be willing to. The order of magnitude cost increase between the current state and the Municipal Hybrid model is estimated to be in the magnitude of $42 per capita (gross costs adjusted to CPS- competitive salaries and normalized vacancy rate).
The governance structures of the municipal models are best aligned with the directions and initiatives that the City wishes to pursue albeit at an increased liability to the City.
The current RCMP model has the lowest cost and the full-service municipal model is projected to have the highest, with the municipal hybrid and CPS as a contract service provider between the two. The hybrid municipal model has merits because it provides the governance mechanism that Airdrie is looking for while mitigating costs by outsourcing serious yet infrequent occurrences to Calgary (or another service provider). It is of note that these municipal police services have been designed to be lean. The full-service model has been estimated at approximately $286 per capita and the hybrid model at $261 –lower than most municipal police service costs that typically range from $300 – $400 per capita.
The bottom line is to determine whether the perceived gains of a municipal service is worth the estimated $3.5 million difference in cost between the two models (assuming CPS competitive pay increases and a normalized vacancy rate).
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Current State Contract at CPS Municipal Full- Municipal Current State Service Competitive Service Hybrid Provider Salaries Salaries and Benefits $10,891,269 12,174,577 $17,556,302 $14,564,424 - Other Operating Costs $2,934,504 $2,934,504 $2,116,850 $1,501,300 - Building $275,554 $275,554 $299,400 $299,400 - Contracted Support - - $150,000 $1,997,000 $17,191,217 Services Total $14,101,327 $15,384,635 $20,122,552 $18,362,124 $17,191,217 Revenue ($3,678,295) ($3,678,295) ($3,085,438) ($3,085,438) ($3,085,438) Net $10,423,032 $11,706,340 $17,037,114 $15,276,686 $14,105,779
*Based on fiscal 2018/19 adjusted based on normalized vacancies
1.4.1 Recommendation
Selecting a policing model for Airdrie is obviously not a light decision. There are multiple contexts and complex issues to consider. In addition, policing in Airdrie, like most cities, is one of the top expenditures by the city every year. The policing model can have a material effect on a city’s budget. It can also be a polarizing decision within a community.
There is no immediate need for Airdrie to change its policing model based upon current satisfaction surveys, crime trends and statistics and the RCMP’s ability to provide value in relation to cost. The current environment related to the global COVID pandemic is not conducive to immediate change. There are significant unknowns regarding how the world operates going forward. The financial strain of COVID-related programming and subsidies will likely affect government budgets for years to come. Airdrie’s current RCMP contract provides knowns to assist with the vast array of unknowns within the foreseeable future.
There are, however, concerns regarding the RCMP’s suitability to police for Airdrie in the long term. Concerns around recruiting, communication, transparency and the ability to be nimble and innovative. Therefore, the proposed recommendation encompasses a multi-year timeline that affords Airdrie the advantage of learning from others, working on how it interacts with the RCMP, beginning to set aside transition and additional funds and allow for additional public input and reflection. The recommendation includes not making an immediate change to the current policing model but deploying the following, or a combination of the following courses of action:
1) Watch and learn what can be gleaned from the Surrey transition. Surrey’s ongoing transition from the RCMP to a municipal service can provide Airdrie significant ‘lessons learned’. There will also be significant value in monitoring Surrey’s transition plan against their actual transition costs (originally estimated at $45 million of which a significant portion was IT related). Recent consultations with those close to Surrey indicate that the transition has less momentum than it had to start, specifically as the degree to which property taxes are expected to increase is better understood.
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a) Surrey’s transition plan indicates a transition in April of 2021 (agreement allows for 25 months after giving notice to RCMP). Recent consultations and news releases indicate that Surrey will likely not meet that target date and may operate with a blended operation for a period. 2) Gather what can be learned from Surrey’s first year or two of operations. There will be value in understanding what areas Surrey feels they have been able to improve, and areas where they believe they continue to struggle. This may indicate areas that are related the model itself and which are policing challenges in general. Questions to answer will include. i) How has public opinion changed? ii) Have major policing metrics changed? iii) How have costs changed? iv) How has mayor and council’s ability to provide input changed? 3) In the meantime, consider the use of a third-party moderator at Municipal Advisory Board Meetings and with the RCMP relationship in general a) Other municipalities have utilized a third-party moderator to assist the municipality with executing its rights within their MPSA. These are typically retired RCMP members with experience from both perspectives of the MPSA and/or PPSA. Moderators can also aid with creating a process framework that relies less on the relationship with the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) and more on process-driven framework so that interactions remain consistent, regardless of the commander. 4) Begin to prepare for a potential transition by putting funds in reserve for transition costs a) There are approximately 3 - 4 years between Surrey completing its transition plan and operating independently for an additional 2 years. Airdrie can utilize this time frame to create a transition or reserve fund to prepare for anticipated costs. Airdrie would have to set aside $1.25 million annually over 4 years to set aside a $5 million transition fund. b) These funds can be reallocated if Airdrie decides to take a different direction. Either for general use or into community safety related programming such as community safety officers, addictions outreach or related resources. 5) Continue to engage the public and provide transparent information throughout. This report will provide the public with information to provide informed input to the City a) The public’s perception regarding their safety is key to whether a City is deemed ‘safe’ – perception is reality. b) Utilize this report to provide an order of magnitude cost estimate for the public regarding the cost of policing provider options c) There will be a cost increase if Airdrie transitions to a municipal police service. The public needs to understand what they are getting in return. 6) If there is still significant reason or desire to change at that time – be bold – do not create a municipal version of the police service that exists. Create a police service for the future. For example: a) Integrate civilians and non-sworn officers into community policing, patrols and call responses. i) Integrate the municipal enforcement officers into patrols.
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ii) Integrate other specialists into the organization as required such as addictions, homelessness and mental health. Work with organizations that provide these services but hire your own if you can’t get the service you require. b) Use data to focus on proactive crime prevention, not crime response
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2 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
The City of Airdrie (City) is reviewing all programs and priorities delivered through the enforcement section of the Protective Services Team (Municipal Enforcement and the RCMP). This review is in response to the City’s growing population, size and complexity. Growth is expected to continue, and this review and report are necessary to identify any challenges that may exist with current services and provide recommendations for the City moving forward.
There are several questions that the City posed within the RFP for this project. Although answers to these questions appear within the report to varying degrees, these questions are specifically addressed in Appendix J. These questions include:
• Is there a point where the City of Airdrie would outgrow having an RCMP detachment? • Do the City of Airdrie’s priorities begin to conflict with RCMP national and divisional policies? • Does the RCMP have the ability to keep pace with technology both in investigations and in equipment? • How can a national policing model meet the needs and priorities for Airdrie as a City that has its own unique culture and characteristics that make it “The Place to Be” in Canada? • Is the City of Airdrie prepared, for the current and future policing environment? • Do municipalities with different policing delivery models get different value for their investments? • With constant change at the Provincial and Federal level, does the current police service model perform at a high level and does it provide high-level value for money? • How does the City of Airdrie’s policing model compare with other police agencies from key performance indicators such as clearance rates and calls for service?
Throughout the duration of this engagement, MNP’s project team endeavored to answer these questions by gathering information from a variety of sources to provide the City of Airdrie with a clear understanding of challenges the City faces with their current policing model and to inform the path forward that is aligned with the City’s objectives and goals.
2.1 Project Objectives
Therefore, overarching goals and objectives of this study and report are to:
1. Complete a service review of the current policing model and other potential policing model options for the City of Airdrie 2. Complete a governance review of the current policing model and other policing model options for the City of Airdrie 3. Provide the City of Airdrie with recommendations for a future policing delivery model based on the information collected through the service and governance reviews
This report describes the results of the service and governance review of the current policing services delivery model, other models that the City could consider, and recommendations on the next steps with regards to aligning the policing delivery model to the City’s goals and objectives.
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3 EVALUATION FRAMEWORK, APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY
3.1 Evaluation Objective Framework
The general purpose of this analysis was to complete a comprehensive comparison of the City of Airdrie’s current policing and public safety model (RCMP and Municipal Enforcement team i.e. status quo) to a municipal police model, a regional policing model, and to a Calgary Police Service (CPS) contract policing model. This comparison provides information to assist in the determination of which option may be the best aligned to Airdrie’s needs and wants going forward. An evaluation framework was developed in accordance with the purpose and objectives of this analysis to summarize essential comparators and to clarify the steps in the analytical process. The evaluation framework for the study and analysis of the various policing models was focused in three core areas: service delivery, governance, and financial implications.
3.1.1 Service
For the purpose of the evaluation framework, service delivery includes the types and level of service provided by the respective policing models and how they are delivered. Areas of comparison included information regarding deployment models, staffing levels, and breadth of service provision.
3.1.2 Governance
Important aspects of governance include level of oversight, flexibility, autonomy and control that the City of Airdrie has within the respective models, the consultation methodology between management and the Police Services Board, the degree to which key decisions are made, the internal review process and the assumption of risk/liability.
3.1.3 Financial
A cost comparison was completed for each policing model to indicate the cost of Protective Services for the City of Airdrie currently and should it decide to move forward with a different model.
The detailed evaluation framework is provided in Appendix A.
3.2 Approach and Methodology
During this analysis, work was completed using a three-phased approach:
Phase 1: Project Initiation and Planning: A project initiation workshop was conducted at the outset of the project with Airdrie’s Senior Leadership Team (including the Growth & Protective Services Director, Fire Chief and Manager, Growth & Protective Services, and Municipal Enforcement Team Leader) to confirm the proposed approach, methodology, work plan, scope, goals and objectives of the project. Key stakeholders were identified both internally and externally, and a data collection framework and interview guides were prepared to garner additional information prior to the consultation process. The final step of this phase was the creation of benchmarking components and the establishment of criteria for applicable jurisdictions. This phase allowed for the
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confirmation of expectations and validation of the project scope, objectives, resources, approach and expected outcomes.
Phase 2: Environmental Scan, Benchmarking as well as Comprehensive Review and Assessment of Current Policing Model: During Phase two (2), available data was requested and compiled to complete the evaluation framework. This included input from interviews with the RCMP, City of Airdrie, Municipal Enforcement Team, RCMP Detachment Civilian Staff, the City of Airdrie Senior Leadership Team, and external stakeholders. Facility tours of the Airdrie detachment were conducted to better understand day-to-day operations. Stakeholder interviews were conducted with several external stakeholders to better understand their current relationship with the RCMP and Municipal Enforcement and how they may be affected within policing models. Phase two (2) also included a review of other jurisdictions and their police services including available background documentation and data from Statistics Canada.
This phase included a comprehensive review of the current policing model including services provided by the RCMP and Municipal Enforcement. Stakeholder interviews were conducted with representation from the City of Airdrie, Municipal Enforcement and the RCMP (including operations and related support services). A public survey and public town hall session were included in this phase to collect information regarding public perceptions regarding the current policing model and suggestions for the future.
Phase 3: Governance and Financial Analysis: In this phase, the benefits, challenges and risks of the four policing models under consideration were established including oversight, governance, costs and operations management.
Information was collected and analyzed regarding governance and oversight including: oversight, direction and control and how it is accomplished, priority setting, reporting and accountability, policy development, complaint processes, governance structure and impacts of provincial and federal legislation.
Operating and capital costs were analyzed for each of the four policing models including costs such as infrastructure, support costs, and high-level switching costs. Annual operating and capital costs were projected for each model to provide an estimate of the cost for each type of policing model in this study.
The last part of this phase reviewed operations management for each of the four policing model including: organization, management, administration, planning, performance indicators, relationships with other agencies, coordination between services, special response team, administrative and support services, and handling of public complaints.
This phase allowed for an in-depth understanding of the governance, cost and operations management for each of the four policing models under review.
Phase 4: Findings: An in-depth analysis of all data and information provided in Phase two (2) and three (3) was conducted according to the evaluation framework. Upon completion of the analysis, a final report was prepared including a review of the current state for the City of Airdrie and the benefits and challenges between policing models under consideration.
The final report was submitted to the Senior Leadership Team and City Council considering estimated annual costs, service levels, access to specialised expertise, capacity, fit with the city’s culture and priorities, risks, and transitional costs for alternative models.
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To support the analysis, qualitative and quantitative data was collected through multiple sources where possible to ensure that information provided to the City of Airdrie is based on multiple lines of evidence to aid with the decision-making process.
3.2.1 Data Requests
The following is a detailed list of qualitative and quantitative information requested from the RCMP and the City of Airdrie to complete the review of the services, governance and financial information. The City of Airdrie facilitated the collection of data from various City department and the RCMP.
The list below indicates the data that was collected throughout this engagement:
• Alberta First Responders Radio Communication System (AFRRCS) Bulletin • RCMP Annual Performance Plans (APP) (2016 – 2019) • CPIC o Public Security Peace Officer Program – CPIC Policy o CPIC Access Bulletin o CPIC Meeting with Solicitor General Presentation • City of Airdrie Crime Stats (2013-2018) • Municipal Enforcement Occurrence Stats (2015-2019) • City of Airdrie 2018 CSI Report (2013-2018 Stats) • Municipal Police Service Agreement – Municipality of Airdrie • Municipal Policing Advisory Board – Terms of Reference • Organizational Charts o RCMP (2016 and 2019) o RCMP Building Organizational Chart (RCMP Detachment Support Services) (2019) • Job Profiles o Court Liaison o Database Coordinator (PROS) o Exhibit Custodian o Traffic Court Liaison o Crime Analyst o Commissionaire o CRU Administrator o File Reader Reviewer o Watch Clerk o Front Counter / Data Entry Clerk o Criminal Record Check Clerk o Administrative Customer Service Clerk o Management Assistant o Database Coordinator (CPIC)
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• Financials o RCMP Quarterly Invoices (2014-2019) o RCMP Detailed Financial Reports (2014-2018) o Specialized Services Costs o RCMP Detachment Support Services Salary Ranges (2015-2019) o Building and Maintenance Costs o Municipal Enforcement Costs o RCMP Civilian Employee Costs o Revenue • RCMP Specialized Services Definitions • Rural vs. City Policing Business Case • Rural vs. City Stats (2019) • RCMP Community Feedback Surveys (2018 and 2019)
3.2.2 Stakeholder Interviews
In addition to the data requested throughout the duration of the engagement, 37 in-person interviews were conducted with a variety of internal and external stakeholders to better understand service levels, governance structure and cost implications regarding the City of Airdrie’s current model as well as pertinent information for an Airdrie municipal police service, a regional model or the Calgary Police Service (CPS) as a contract partner.
See Appendix B for the stakeholder interview guide used in the structured interviews and Appendix C for the CPS interview guide.
Table 1 – Internal and External Stakeholder Interviews
Stakeholder Group Stakeholder Participant’s Role City of Airdrie • Mayor • Chief Administrative Officer • Municipal Police Advisory Board Chair • Councillors (x3) • Director Corporate Services • People and Organizational Effectiveness Director • Fire Chief and Manager, Growth & Protective Services • Corporate Services Director • Growth and Protective Services Director • Human Resources Business Partner • Director of Community Infrastructure • Director of Community Services
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Stakeholder Group Stakeholder Participant’s Role • Director, City Manager’s Office Municipal Enforcement • Municipal Enforcement Team Leader • Municipal Enforcement Coordinator • Municipal Enforcement Officer RCMP • Detachment Commander (Inspector) • Staff Sergeant • Sergeant, GIS and CRU • Corporal, Community Intervention Unit (Airdrie and District Victims Assistance Society) • Senior Financial Advisor (Winnipeg Office) RCMP Detachment Support Staff • Team Leader, RCMP Operations • Team Leader, RCMP Administration • Watch Clerk • Front Counter Administrative Staff Calgary Police Service • Infrastructure Services Division • Executive Director, Calgary Police Commission • Finance • Information Management Division (x2) • TNPS • Strategic Services • Human Resources • Chief Crowfoot Learning Centre • Operations Division (x2)
3.2.3 Public Consultation
Public consultation was discussed as an integral part of the project in order to help the Senior Leadership Team determine the best path forward as the City of Airdrie considers different policing model options.
There were three methods of public consultation as follows:
• Interviews • Online Public Survey • Townhall Session
3.2.3.1 Interviews
Eight (8) interviews were conducted with members of the public who are involved in organizations that interact with the RCMP or utilize Protective Services within the City of Airdrie. These interviews were conducted in-person
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during the weeks of November 11, 2019 and December 2, 2019 or via video or telephone calls throughout the duration of the project.
Table 2 shows the various stakeholder organization and job titles that were interviewed.
Table 2 – Public Stakeholder Interviews
Stakeholder Group Stakeholder Participant’s Role Community Links • Executive Director International Blue Zones Project • Executive Director Airdrie Foodbank • Executive Director City of Airdrie Chamber of Commerce • Executive Director Volunteer Airdrie • Vice Chair Alberta Health Services • Public Health Employee Abrio Health • Executive Director • Manager, Peace Officer and Security Services Government of Alberta Program
3.2.3.2 Online Public Survey
An online survey was developed to allow for anonymous feedback regarding the policing delivery model study and to gain valuable insight into public perception regarding policing in Airdrie. During the initial kick-off meeting it was agreed that the public survey would be conducted prior to the townhall session so that the public could gain insight into the project and be presented with the survey findings during the townhall. Specifically, the survey intended to assess City of Airdrie residents’ general perceptions surrounding the services, governance structure and costs associated with policing services in the city and whether they think a different policing model should be considered. The survey was open from January 30, 2020 to February 13, 2020.
The City of Airdrie utilized the following seven (7) means to inform the public of the survey:
• City of Airdrie Website • City of Airdrie Facebook • Airdrie Echo Print Ad • Airdrie City View Print Ad • Discover Airdrie Events Calendar • Air 106 Events Calendar • Airdrie Online Community Events Calendar
Respondents were informed that their responses were confidential, and they would not receive any form of compensation for their participation in the survey (i.e. the survey is voluntary).
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3.2.3.3 Townhall Session
A townhall / public consultation session was facilitated on the evening of February 19, 2020 to allow the public and key stakeholders the opportunity to ask questions and voice their opinions surrounding current policing services within the City of Airdrie. Common themes from the townhall have been utilized throughout the report to assist with identifying areas of focus for a future state policing model.
The City of Airdrie utilized following seven (7) means to inform the public of the consultation session:
• City of Airdrie Website • City of Airdrie Facebook • Airdrie Echo Print Ad • Airdrie City View Print Ad • Discover Airdrie Events Calendar • Air 106 Events Calendar • Airdrie Online Community Events Calendar
The results of the online public survey and the most recent RCMP public satisfaction survey were summarized for discussion during the session which helped to guide the input from the public on the following questions:
1. What are your concerns regarding safety in the community? 2. In your opinion, what are some of the positives of the current policing model (including both Municipal Enforcement and RCMP)? 3. In your opinion, what do you believe are challenges of the current policing model? 4. What suggestions might you have regarding how police services are delivered in Airdrie?
Detailed notes of the consultation sessions and a summary of the results of the sessions are included in this report.
3.2.4 RCMP Satisfaction Survey
The RCMP conduct a satisfaction survey annually for the residents of the City of Airdrie, to measure the level of satisfaction with the policing services provided by the RCMP. The responses from the RCMP survey were used in conjunction with the consultation methods utilized for this study.
In 2019, the RCMP asked the following four questions to the citizens of Airdrie to determine satisfaction and suggestions regarding RCMP service provision:
1. What are your thoughts on RCMP service in Airdrie? 2. What suggestions do you have to improve RCMP Service in Airdrie? 3. Before this survey, were you aware that Airdrie’s current policing priorities are traffic, crime reduction and community engagement? 4. What top three priorities do you think the RCMP should focus on in 2020? (Select three)
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3.2.5 Other Jurisdictional Research
In consultation with the Senior Leadership Team, 18 communities were identified to be of interest for benchmarking purposes.
Table 3 – Communities Reviewed for Other Jurisdictional Research
Municipal Policing Model • City of Calgary • City of Medicine Hat • City of Sarnia • City of Delta • City of Lethbridge • Town of Taber • City of Brantford • City of Thunder Bay • City of Camrose • City of Brandon RCMP Policing Model • City of Red Deer • City of Surrey • City of Wood Buffalo • City of Grande Prairie • City of Richmond • City of Thompson • City of Kelowna • City of Strathcona
Additional jurisdictional research was completed based on information from Statistics Canada on Policing in Canada to provide further background information pertinent to this study.
• Population • Police officers (male / female split) • Civilian and other personnel • Authorized police officer strength • Crime Severity Index • Weighted Clearance Weights • Incident-based crime statistics
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4 CURRENT STATE
The City of Airdrie currently contracts the RCMP for its municipal policing services. It also deploys a Municipal Enforcement (ME) team of provincially appointed and regulated peace officers that assists with public safety initiatives within the city. The combination of the two comprise the City’s Protective Services. The following sections describe the current services, governance structure and financial information for the comprehensive Protective Services delivery model in the City of Airdrie.
Data and interviews were analyzed for recurring themes and patterns regarding perceptions and thoughts regarding the service, governance and costs associated with the City of Airdrie’s current policing model. The following sections and sub-sections describe those findings.
The following subsections provide an overview of the current state and organizes the discussion across the categories of service, governance and cost. These subsections provide a factual “lay of the land”. Further sections provide analysis of the current state and comparison with other services or jurisdictions where possible and appropriate.
4.1 Services
A variety of indicators were utilized to describe and review the current service level provided to the City of Airdrie by the RCMP and Municipal Enforcement team including:
1) Staffing Levels 2) Service Offerings 3) Service Standards 4) Calls for Service
4.1.1 Staffing Levels
The City of Airdrie has a contract with the RCMP to provide policing services for the city. The city additionally has Municipal Enforcement Officers (Community Peace Officers) and RCMP detachment support staff (City of Airdrie employees) that work alongside the RCMP and ME to provide Protective Services for the citizens of Airdrie.
Table 4 shows the number of FTEs for the RCMP, Municipal Enforcement team and RCMP detachment support staff from 2014/15-2019/20. This table provides a summary overview of staffing for the past six (6) years, demonstrating the growth in officers and corresponding civilian staff members, in addition to the Municipal Enforcement Team. RCMP FTE calculations are based on an accrual of hours worked, whereas the Municipal Enforcement and RCMP Detachment Support Staff FTEs are based on the number of employees at a point in time.
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Table 4 – FTEs for RCMP, Municipal Enforcement and RCMP Support Staff (2014-2019)
2014* 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 RCMP Sworn Officers 36.02 44.6 52.3 54.16 53.81 51 Municipal Enforcement Team Management Team Leader - - - 1.0 1.0 1.0 Coordinator - - - 1.0 - 1.0 Municipal Enforcement Officers 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 Municipal Enforcement Administrative 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 Support Chief Licensing Officers 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 RCMP Support Staff Management Team Leaders 1 1 1 1 1 2 Operations Support 11 12.5 13.5 16 19 15 Administrative Support - - - - - 9.5 Commissionaire - - - 0.74 0.74 0.74
*The City of Airdrie has a fiscal year end of December 31 and for the and the RCMP operates on April 1-March 31 calendar, so 2014 calendar is compared to 2014/15 for the RCMP The below table provides detailed information regarding the number of FTEs for the RCMP, Municipal Enforcement team and RCMP detachment support staff as at February 10, 2020. This table contains the detailed breakdown of staff for each area of Protective Services and staff vacancies at that time. Airdrie RCMP operate an integrated detachment, meaning that there are RCMP officer that utilize the detachment for policing Airdrie, but there are also officers within the detachment who are deployed to surrounding rural areas. These officers are jointly funded by the Province of Alberta (70%) and Canada (30%). RCMP rural and municipal officers were broken out to demonstrate the separate mandate of those members. The Inspector and Staff Sergeant are involved in the management and supervision of all members (rural and municipal).
Table 5 – FTEs for Community Safety and Protective Services in the City of Airdrie as at 10/02/2020
Rank / Position Title Sworn or Civilian Vacancies # of Staffed FTEs RCMP – Municipal and Rural Inspector Sworn - 1.0 Staff Sergeant Sworn 1.0 2.0 Total RCMP Municipal and Rural 3 – Sworn 1.0 3.0 RCMP – Municipal Sergeant Sworn 3.0 5.0
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Rank / Position Title Sworn or Civilian Vacancies # of Staffed FTEs Corporal Sworn 2.0 7.0 Constable Sworn 10.0 52.0 Total RCMP Municipal 64 – Sworn 15.0 64.0 RCMP – Rural Sergeant Sworn - 1.0 Corporal Sworn - 1.0 Constable Sworn - 8.0 Constable – Enhanced Positions – Rockyview and Sworn - 2.0 Crossfield Public Servant Civilian - 3.0 12 – Sworn Total RCMP Rural - 15.0 3 – Civilian Municipal Enforcement Municipal Enforcement Office Supervisor Civilian - 1.0 Municipal Enforcement Officer Peace Officer - 10.0 Coordinator Peace Officer - 1.0 Municipal Enforcement Administrative Support Civilian - 3.5 Chief Licensing Officer Civilian - 1.0 11 – Peace Total Municipal Enforcement Officers - 16.5 5.5 – Civilian RCMP Detachment Support Staff Team Leader, RCMP Operations Civilian - 1.0 Team Leader, RCMP Administration Civilian - 1.0 Watch Clerks Civilian - 8.0 GIS Support Clerk Civilian - 1.0 CRU Support Clerk Civilian - 1.0 Court Liaison Civilian - 1.0 Exhibit Custodian Civilian - 1.0 File Reader Civilian - 1.0 Crime Analyst Civilian - 1.0 PROS IM/DBA Civilian - 1.0
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Rank / Position Title Sworn or Civilian Vacancies # of Staffed FTEs ME & Management Support Civilian - 1.0 Traffic Clerk Civilian - 0.5 CPIC Civilian - 1.0 Front Desk Volunteer Civilian - 0.2 Front Desk Rotational Civilian - 5.0 Commissionaire Civilian - 0.74 Total RCMP Detachment Support Staff 25.44 – Civilian - 25.44 78 – Sworn 11 – Peace Total FTE 16.0 120.94 Officers 30.94 – Civilian
The organizational charts for both the RCMP (including Municipal Enforcement) and the RCMP detachment support staff reflect the information in the table above for fiscal year 2019. Figure 2 is the organizational chart for the City of Airdrie RCMP and Municipal Enforcement Officers as at September 1st, 2019 and Figure 3 the organizational chart for the RCMP Detachment Support Staff and Municipal Enforcement as at August 1st, 2019.
Figure 2 – City of Airdrie RCMP Organizational Chart (2019-01-09)
Legend
- RCMP Municipal Commander (1) - RCMP Rural - Detachment Services Supervisor (1)
Detachment Services Assistant (2)
Detail Supervisor, GIS IC / Supervisor OPS Support NCO Community Policing Operations NCO (1) (1) (1) (1)
Community Detail D Detail Supervisor Detail A Supervisor, Detail B Supervisor, Detail C Supervisor, GIS Supervisor / Municipal Traffic Policing Services Supervisor, IC Drugs (1) (1) Municipal (1) Municipal (1) Municipal (1) Investigator (1) (2) (1) Municipal (1)
Investigator (2) PACT (2) Investigator (9) Investigator (9) Investigator (8) Investigator (9) Investigator (6) Investigator (4)
Investigator (1) DVAT (2) Investigator (2) Investigator (2) Investigator (3) Investigator (2) Investigator (1)
SRO (2)
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Figure 3 – City of Airdrie RCMP Detachment Support Staff and Municipal Enforcement Organizational Chart (2019- 08-01)
Legend
- Civilian Staff Director of - Peace Officers Community - Safety (1) Manager, Protective Services (1)
Team Leader, Team Leader, Team Leader, RCMP Municipal RCMP Administration (1) Enforcement (1) Operations (1)
Municipal Municipal Chief Licensing Front Desk Commissionaire Enforcement Enforcement Admin Watch Clerks Section OPS Support Crime Analyst (1) Admin Support Officer (1) Support (0.74) Coordinator (1) Support (3.5)
Municipal GIS Support Front Desk Enforcement A Watch (2) Court Liaison (1) PROS IM/DBA (1) Clerk (1) Rotational (5) Officers (10)
ME & CRU Support Exhibit Custodian B Watch (2) Management On Call (1) Clerk (1) (1) Support (1)
Front Desk C Watch (2) File Reader (1) Traffic Clerk (0.5) Volunteer (0.2)
D Watch (2) CPIC (1)
Table 6 indicates the vacancy rates for the RCMP, Municipal Enforcement and RCMP Detachment Support Staff from 2014-2018.
Table 6 – Vacancies for RCMP, Municipal Enforcement and RCMP Detachment Support Staff from 2014-2018
RCMP Hard Vacancies - - - - 2.00 0.4 Soft Vacancies 4.98 4.40 1.70 8.84 9.19 5.82 Total Vacancies 4.98 4.4 1.70 8.84 11.19 6.2 % Change Municipal Enforcement Hard Vacancies ------Soft Vacancies ------
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Total Vacancies ------% Change RCMP Detachment Support Staff Hard Vacancies ------Soft Vacancies - 1.00 - 1.00 0.50 0.5 Total Vacancies - 1.00 - 1.00 0.50 0.5
4.1.2 Service Offerings
The services provided by the RCMP and the Municipal Enforcement team differ and are designed to strategically compliment each other. The city also provides the RCMP with civilian staff that support the RCMP in a variety of operations and administrative capacities. Further detail regarding the service provision of each group is provided in the following sections.
4.1.2.1 RCMP Services
The RCMP are contracted to provide municipal policing services to the City of Airdrie as mandated under the Municipal Police Service Agreement (2012). Under the agreement the RCMP are responsible to:1
• Perform the duties of peace officers • Preserve peace, protect life and property and prevent crime and offences against the laws of Canada and the province of Alberta • Execute warrants • Prevent by-laws offences
The RCMP provide a variety of services to the City of Airdrie including the following (based on the 2019 RCMP organizational chart):
• Community Policing • Police and Crisis Team (PACT) o Bike Patrol (with Municipal • Domestic Violence Action Team (DVAT) Enforcement Officers) • General Investigation Section • Victim Services • Municipal Traffic (Traffic Safety) • Investigative Crime • Drug Investigations • School Resources • Crime Prevention • Dispatch
The RCMP also have a variety of special services that can be provided to the City of Airdrie as needed. These special services include:
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• Enhanced Visible Traffic Initiative • Division Analysis • Emergency Response Team (ERT)/Critical Incident • Crime Reduction Analysis Program • FIT o Critical Incident Team • INTELEX (conducts electronic background o Emergency Response Team research on targets, subjects of interest, o Special Tactical Operations (STO) and security checks on applicants and employees) o Explosive Disposal Unit • Witness Protection • Forensic Identification Services • Alberta Serious Incident Response Team • Operational Communications Centre (ASIRT) • Integration & Specialized Support Services • Behavioural Sciences o Operations Strategy Branch • Gaming Investigations o Special O (Specialized Surveillance Teams) • Interview Assistance Team o Special I (Covert Operations) • Air Services • Serious Crimes Branch • Covert & Specialized Policing Services (SPS) o KARE/Historical Homicide Unit • Crisis Intervention o Major Crimes Unit • Search and Rescue • Provincial Support Services • Criminal Operations o Officer in Charge (OIC) Provincial Support • Contract Policing Officer Services • Criminal Operations Officer o Operational Readiness/Response • Informatics o Police Dog Service o Information Management o Provincial EDU o Information Technology o Provincial Standards o Communications Systems • Commercial Crime o Informatics Operations Support
4.1.2.2 Municipal Enforcement Services
Municipal Enforcement Officers are appointed by the Alberta Solicitor General and the Minister of Public Security and are legislated under the Peace Officer Act to enhance public safety within the City of Airdrie – in particular, their responsibilities are to ensure citizenry compliance with city bylaws and provincial statutes.2 They work in concert with the RCMP in Airdrie to provide Protective Services.
Municipal Enforcement Officers are able to provide the following general services to the City of Airdrie as mandated by the Province of Alberta’s Peace Officer Act: 3
• Investigate municipal bylaws and select provincial legislation complaints • Enforcement of municipal Bylaws • Enforcement of Province of Alberta statues, including but not limited to: o Traffic Safety Act o Gaming and Liquor Act
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o Tobacco Reduction Act o Prevention of Youth Tobacco Act o Enhanced Environment Act o Animal Protection Act o Dangerous Dog Act • Animal control duties • Assist RCMP, EMS, and Fire Services • Patrolling residential, commercial and industrial areas • Attend special events to assist in public safety and security • Deliver proactive safety programs to the community
The Municipal Enforcement Officers patrol in five (5) marked patrol vehicles with an In Car Digital Video System which includes cameras at the front and the back of the car and microphones worn by each officer.2
Municipal Enforcement Officers do not handle criminal code violations or provincial procedures and are not armed. They focus on provincial and bylaw mandates and assist the RCMP in traffic enforcement and the fire department in crowd control and evacuations.4
Currently, there are eight (8) community peace officer level-one (1) members, and two (2) community peace officer level-two (2) members. Level-one (1) officers can ticket moving traffic violations under the Traffic Safety Act and/or elements of the Gaming and Liquor Act, while level-two (2) officers are unable to enforce violations under either act other than taxis under the Taxi Bylaw or off-route trucks. Overall, level-two (2) community safety officers play more of an administrative function for Protective Services.4,5 The level of training for the two officer levels differs significantly. Level-one (1) community peace officers partake in The Community Peace Officer Induction Course taught at the Solicitor General and Public Security Staff College and may take additional enhanced training at the college to enable authorities of non-urgent community calls, non-injury motor vehicle collision (MVC) investigations, and Criminal Code warrant execution. Level-two (2) community peace officers are recommended to take the introduction course but it is not required. Each employer is responsible for developing a training course that delivers the necessary skills and knowledge to offer effective service delivery.5
Municipal Enforcement does not have a central dispatch system for responding to calls. Phone lines are monitored Monday to Friday from 8:30am-4:30pm, and officers self-dispatch outside those hours. Key areas of focus for the Airdrie Municipal Enforcement Team are Taxi, Business Licensing, Animal Control, General Bylaw and Traffic. Specific activities that the Municipal Enforcement deal with within the purview of their mandated responsibilities are as follows:
General Bylaw
• Community Standards • Municipal Bylaws o Waste and Bylaw o Traffic Bylaw Recycling o Unsightlies o Parking o Water Services o Snow Removal o Parks Bylaw o Business Licensing Bylaw o Noise o Land Use Bylaw o Drainage Bylaw
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• Public Conveyance and Vehicle for Hire Bylaw Animal Control
• Licensing • Dog Barking Complaints • Miscellaneous – • Lost and Found • Bites rabbit/skunk/bat/bird • Cat and Dog at Large • Sudden death Traffic
• Traffic Safety Plan • School Zones • Speed • Residential Speed • Distracted Driving Special Events
• Santa Claus • Markets • Winter Games • Canada Day Parade • Festivals • Runs • Fireworks
Assist RCMP/Fire
• Oil spills • Accidents • Fires (road closures)
4.1.2.3 RCMP Detachment Support Services
According to the Municipal Police Service Agreement between the City of Airdrie and the RCMP, the City is responsible for providing all support staff required of the RCMP, as determined by the Commissioner. The City of Airdrie has provided RCMP detachment support staff although alternatively, the agreement indicates that the RCMP could supply (recruit, train etc.) its own support staff for which it would in turn invoice the municipality.6
As indicated on the organizational chart, support staff are divided into operational and administrative support staff. Operational support staff include: Watch Clerks, GIS Support Clerk, CRU Support Clerks, Court Liaison, Exhibit Custodian, File Reader and Crime Analyst. Administrative support staff include: PROS Database Coordinator, M/E & Management Support, Traffic Clerk, CPIC Database Coordinator, Rotational Municipal Enforcement, Front Desk- Volunteer and Commissionaire.
The table below provides a summary of the main responsibilities and service provision for RCMP Detachment Support Staff as per the City of Airdrie’s job descriptions for the following positions.
Table 7 – RCMP Detachment Support Staff Roles and Responsibilities7
Operational Support Watch Clerks • Monitor radio for member location, activity and respond to requests via radio (i.e. vehicles, person, warrant, CPIC queries) • Monitor incoming CPIC messages • Query PROS system and relay information to Members via radio
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Operational Support • Creation of legal documents • Data entry and file maintenance • Complete ticket processing (Municipal and Enhanced tickets) • Complete Electronic Disclosure for all Investigative Files CRU Support Clerk • Provide general administrative services to the members of the RCMP o Data entry for PROS, CPIC and JOIN • Creation of legal documents • Court disclosures • Complete system backups • Prepare and submit bail packages for bail hearings Court Liaison • Liaise between all Airdrie RCMP Units and the Crown Prosecutor relative to Federal and Provincial Criminal Court Matters including investigational and administrative files • Primary contact for all Criminal Court related inquiries • Maintain, update and complete Detachment files • Prepare court disclosures and provide to Provincial Crown • Keep Members aware on court dates and cancellations • Coordinate the submission of any documentation or evidence needed for the court process Exhibit Custodian • Provide support to Airdrie RCMP Members through the handling, documenting, storing and preserving evidence and other property for safekeeping including: o Drugs o Guns o Property • Update PROS as necessary with exhibit information • Maintain and download videos from police vehicles • Annual audit and inventory of exhibits File Reader • Read and review all RCMP investigations to ensure quality of investigations in line with RCMP policies and procedures • Complete daily checks and review, monitor/control, correct, and perform audits of all operational files for the RCMP ensuring accuracy • Ensure records are maintained in compliance with RCMP policies using PROS, CPIC, PIRS, or other RCMP systems Crime Analyst • Provide analytical services in support of RCMP investigators and detachment management • Identify criminal trends, patterns, series, behaviours and individuals or criminal networks
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Operational Support • Prepare highly effective operational intelligence briefs, reports, statistics and other communication material which can help guide in setting operational priorities • Evaluate and relay relevant intelligence information to investigators in a real-time environment • Provide expert advice on complex criminal investigations, assess intelligence and provide analysis for judicial purposes • Contribute to the implementation of crime reduction strategies • Review, evaluate and develop appropriate systems, forms and procedures for gathering and disseminating information Administrative Support PROS Database • File creation, management, retention and disposition Coordinator • Review of concluded PROS/PIRS files to ensure data quality • Support access and retrieval of information while preserving privacy requirements o Ensure RCMP and Uniform Crime Reporting Scoring is completed so that accurate statistics can be generated for Airdrie jurisdiction. o User Support of Databases • Manage Unit Contingency Fund • Manage the cell block surveillance including pulling footage and troubleshooting issues • Cover for Watch Clerks when needed • Respond to customer inquiries when needed • Assist with various document preparation ME & Management • Assist management team with a variety of administrative tasks including but not Support limited to: o Updating organizational charts o Responding to public complaints o Keeping course work and training plans up to date o Take minutes at meetings o Maintain personnel files o Order office supplies and equipment Traffic Clerk • Liaise between all Airdrie RCMP Units and the Crown Prosecutor relative to Provincial Acts Court matters • Primary contact for all Traffic Court related inquiries • Maintain and update Detachment files • Prepare court disclosures and provide to Provincial Crown • Keep Members aware on court dates and cancellations
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Operational Support CPIC Database • File creation, management, retention and disposition Coordinator • User support of databases • Adding, removing and modifying CPIC information when needed • Monitor Queen’s Bench Orders and follow-up if not received notification from QB within a few days of court review date • Update court folders from warrant dispositions • Respond to customer inquiries when needed • Basic confirmation and action warrants for outside agencies via CPIC message • Update PROS File for Airdrie Detachment and other detachments • Adding warrants and monitoring expiries for Probation and Municipal Enforcement Front-Desk Rotational • Customer service / dealing with public needs as they arise o Accident reports o Fingerprinting forms o Sign-ins for visitors • Data entry • Answering phones and fielding questions Front Desk-Volunteer • Administrative duties as assigned Commissionaire • Fingerprinting • Collision reports • Escorting non-secure individuals around building • Assist with mail (incoming and outgoing) • Maintain police car accounts
4.1.3 Service Standards
4.1.3.1 RCMP Service Standards and Deployment Model
The current deployment model for the Airdrie RCMP includes general duty where members work four (4) days on and four (4) days off for 12-hour shifts (11-hours at night) with an hour gap between watch starts. There are 12 people on a watch – Sergeant, Corporal, eight (8) Municipal Constables, and two (2) Rural Constables. The service standard includes a minimum of six (6) officers on duty at any time – one (1) Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) and five (5) Constables.
The breakdown of these RCMP Members is as follows:
• Management Team o One (1) detachment commander, one (1) community and investigative services supervisor, one (1) operations support supervisor, one (1) general investigation and IC drugs supervisor and one (1) supervisor for general duty. There are four components to general duty which include:
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▪ Enforcement (reactive) ▪ Investigation (reactive) ▪ Crime Reduction (proactive/intervention) ▪ Community Liaison (proactive/intervention) • General Patrol o There are 48 general patrol members that respond to 911 calls and general calls for service ▪ Four (4) supervisors – three (3) Municipal RCMP and one (1) Rural RCMP ▪ 44 investigators – 35 Municipal RCMP and nine (9) Rural RCMP • General Investigation Section (GIS) and IC Drug Unit o These two units share one (1) supervisor as described in the Management Team section o The GIS unit has seven (7) members that work a 9-hour shift Sunday to Thursday or Monday to Friday ▪ One (1) member is a supervisor and six (6) members are part of the Municipal RCMP o Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) consists of six (6) members that work 10-hour shifts Tuesday to Friday (day shift) and Wednesday to Sunday (night shift). ▪ Four (4) members are part of the Municipal RCMP, one (1) member is in the Rockyview County enhanced position, and there is one (1) supervisor. • Intervention Unit o Five (5) members – two (2) domestic violence and two (2) mental health and addictions members that work with specialists and one (1) supervisor. • Community Liaison Unit o Five (5) members – two (2) school, two (2) traffic, and one (1) media member that focus on educational awareness.
The Protective Services Building operating hours are from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 8:30 am to 6:30 pm on Wednesday. Fingerprinting is available Tuesday to Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
4.1.3.2 Municipal Enforcement Service Standards and Deployment Model
The Municipal Enforcement Team’s service hours differ in the summer and winter months in six (6) month increments. In the summer, service hours are 6:30 am to 9:00 pm seven (7) days a week including statutory holidays. In the winter, service hours are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm from Monday to Friday. Office hours are Monday to Friday from 6:30 am to 8:30 pm and 6:30 am to 6:30 pm Saturday and Sunday. Shifts are 10-hours long with members on shift either four (4) or five (5) days within a seven (7) week period depending on rotation.
Generally, there is a minimum service standard of five (5) officers on patrol during the day, but oftentimes there are up to seven (7) officers. During the evening shift, there are typically two (2) members on patrol until 9:00 pm.
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4.1.4 Public Safety Activity Statistics
4.1.4.1 RCMP Police Activity Statistics
Police activity as measured by the volume of occurrences has increased 6% annually in the City of Airdrie within the period of this study (available data includes 2014 – 2018 inclusive). During this time, the city’s population has increased annually by an average of 5%. As such, the increase in crime and police activity has remained relatively proportionate with the increase in population other than in 2015, when there was a more substantive increase in criminal activity (29%) which then normalized in 2016 (-12%). Table 8 includes aggregated crime statistics for the City of Airdrie from 2014-2018 and Table 9 includes other police activities during the same timeframe. Appendix F provides additional details for these crime statistics.
Table 8 – Criminal Statistics from 2014-2018
Category 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Average Persons ------637 732 755 836 816 755 % Change - 15% 3% 11% -2% 7% Property 2,279 3,193 2,774 2,584 2,673 2,701 % Change - 40% -13% -7% 3% 6% Other Criminal Code 885 956 763 1,042 1,266 982 % Change - 8% -20% 37% 21% 11% Drugs 192 259 216 205 173 209 % Change - 35% -17% -5% -16% -1% Total 3,993 5,141 4,508 4,667 4,928 4,647 % Change ------29% -12% 4% 6% 6% Table 9 – Other Police Activities from------2014-2018 Category 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Average Federal General ------40 39 39 39 56 43 % Change - -3% 0% 0% 44% 10% Provincial Stats 469 604 588 525 544 546 % Change - 29% -3% -11% 4% 5% Municipal 952 743 728 774 759 791 % Change - -22% -2% 6% -2% -5% Motor Vehicle Collisions 1,392 1,369 1,200 1,377 1,456 1,359 % Change - -2% -12% 15% 6% 2% Traffic 3,367 4,018 5,808 4,298 5,430 4,584
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% Change - 19% 45% -26% 26% 16% Common Police Activities 2,628 2,961 3,138 3,241 2,794 2,952 % Change - 13% 6% 3% -14% 2% Total 8,848 9,734 11,501 10,254 11,040 10,275 % Change - 10% 18% -11% 8% 6%
Figure 4 – Crime Statistics and Other Police Activities in Airdrie from 2014-2018
14,000 12,000 ~- ...... _ 10,000 ~·····························' ·~·······---········~··ttt - 8,000 -
6,000 ..... , ,...... , 4,000 - 2,000
0 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Crime Other Police Activities Linear (Crime) Linear (Other Police Activities)
Non-criminal violations are approximately twice the volume of criminal. Both crime and other police activities are growing at similar rate and congruent with Airdrie’s population growth. Table 10 provides criminal occurrences and police activities per 100,000 population. In general, all policing activity for the City of Airdrie has grown at an average of 1% on a per capita since 2014.
Table 10 – Police Activities per 100,000 Population
Category 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Average Population ------56,892 60,567 64,003 67,306 70,327 63,819 % Change - 6% 6% 5% 4% 5% Total Crime Stats 3,993 5,141 4,508 4,667 4,928 4,647 Total Other Stats 8,848 9,734 11,501 10,254 11,040 10,275 Criminal Occurrences per 100,000 Population 7,019 8,488 7,043 6,934 7,007 7,298 % Change - 21% -17% -2% 1% 1% Other Police Activities per 100,000 Population 15,552 16,071 17,969 15,235 15,698 16,105 % Change - 3% 12% -15% 3% 1%
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4.1.4.2 Municipal Enforcement Activity Statistics
The Municipal Enforcement Team does not have a designated dispatch system and therefore information tracking is not complete. The administrative team does their best to track and document calls for service, but files are not always created and some enforcement activities that are dealt with in-person as opposed to via email or calls may not be accurately reflected in the following statistics.
Commercial Vehicle Enforcement
Annually, the Municipal Enforcement Team conducts 32 commercial vehicle checks with an average of 18 tickets being issued annually from 2015-2019. On average, just under 60% of commercial vehicle checks resulted in a ticket issued since 2015.
Table 11 – Commercial Vehicle Checks and Tickets Issued for Infractions from 2015-2019
Category 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Average Commercial Vehicle Checks ------32 32 32 32 32 32 % Change - 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% Tickets - 15 20 20 17 18 % Change - - 33% 0% -15% 6% % Tickets of Vehicle Checks - 47% 63% 63% 53% 59%
General Bylaw and Animal Related Activities
Municipal Enforcement Officers attend to an average of 3,188 bylaw or animal activities annually. The number of activities is increasing on average by 4% per year, whereas the number of Municipal Enforcement Officers has been maintained at 10 FTEs throughout the period of study.
Table 12 – Municipal Enforcement General Bylaw and Animal Related Activities from 2015-2019
Category 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Average BOLO ------105 109 108 96 99 103 % Change - 4% -1% -11% 3% -1% General Bylaw 1,900 1,897 1,960 2136 2,156 2,010 % Change - 0% 3% 9% 1% 3% Snow/Unsightly Complaints 487 420 545 716 639 561 % Change - -14% 30% 31% -11% 9% Dog Barking 104 109 123 125 104 113 % Change - 5% 13% 2% -17% 1% Animal Complaint 330 343 377 372 363 357 % Change - 4% 10% -1% -2% 3% Bites 22 47 46 55 48 44
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Category 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Average % Change ------114% -2% 20% -13% 30% Total Bylaw and Animal Complaints 2,948 2,925 3,159 3,500 3,409 3,188 % Change - -1% 8% 11% -3% 4%
Licensing
Licensing refers to the number of licenses distributed by the City each year for animals (cats and dogs), residential and non-residential businesses. The City approves an average of 13,259 licenses annually with an average annual growth rate of approximately 3%. Not all licenses can be attributed to ME, licenses can be completed online, through City Hall or through front counter Municipal Enforcement staff. The majority of these licenses are for animals, with an average of 9,252 animal licenses distributed annually.
Table 13 – Number of Licenses Distributed by the City of Airdrie Annually form 2015-2019
Category 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Average Animal Licensing ------8,517 9,065 9,976 8,714 9,986 9,252 % Change - 6% 10% -13% 15% 5% Residential Business Licensing 2,292 2,383 2,665 3,076 2,556 2,594 % Change - 4% 12% 15% -17% 4% Non-Residential Business Licensing 1,417 1,389 1,488 1,560 1,210 1,413 % Change - -2% 7% 5% -22% -3% Total Licensing 12,226 12,837 14,129 13,350 13,752 13,259 % Change - 5% 10% -6% 3% 3%
Tickets Issued
Municipal Enforcement Officers issue an average of 4,792 tickets per year, the majority of which are due to provincial infractions. The number of tickets issued per year has been relatively consistent since 2015.
Table 14 – Tickets Issued by Municipal Enforcement Officers from 2015-2019
Category 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Average Bylaw Tickets Issued ------1,063 1,210 1,736 1,054 1,367 1,286 % Change - 14% 43% -39% 30% 12% Provincial Tickets Issued 4,159 3,880 3,193 2,818 3,481 3,506 % Change - -7% -18% -12% 24% -3% Total Tickets 5,222 5,090 4,929 3,872 4,848 4,792 % Change - -3% -3% -21% 25% -0.5%
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Communications Mechanisms
The Municipal Enforcement Team received calls, emails and in-person inquiries or complaints that they respond to. Not all interactions get documented. On average, Municipal Enforcement received 8,128 calls and 2,150 emails annually whereas only 7,906 files are created.
Table 15 – Municipal Enforcement Calls, Emails and File Creation from 2015-2019
Category 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Average Calls ------6,393 7,792 8,398 8,933 9,123 8,128 % Change - 22% 8% 6% 2% 10% Emails 1,592 2,078 2,463 2,300 2,316 2,150 % Change - 31% 19% -7% 1% 11% Files Created* 8,439 8,601 8,178 6,652 7,658 7,906 % Change - 2% -5% -19% 15% -2% *These don’t include self-dispatched calls from officers after hours and thus the actual number of files would be higher
4.2 Governance
According to the Province of Alberta’s Police Act, municipalities have a choice to enter into a variety of policing agreements, including engaging the provincial police as a municipal service (Alberta currently has an agreement with the RCMP to provide provincial policing services for the province), enter into an agreement for the provision of municipal policing services from another police service, establish a regional police service or establish a municipal police service. Governance and oversight for each of these policing options differ.
The City of Airdrie’s municipal agreement with the RCMP allows for input into how the contract between the RCMP and the City is adhered to more so than a true governance mechanism. According to the Police Act, under the current policing structure, City Council may establish a policing committee with no fewer than three (3) and no more than 12 members for a term of three years to prescribe the rules governing the operation of the committee and appoint members of the committee to assist with oversight and governance of the chosen police service. The committee shall:8
• Oversee the administration of the municipal policing agreement made with the RCMP • Assist in selecting the officer in charge • Represent the interests of the council to the officer in charge • In consultation with the officer in charge, develop a yearly plan of priorities and strategies for municipal policing • Issue instructions to the officer in charge respecting the implementation and operation of the yearly plan • Represent the interests and concerns of the public to the officer in charge • Assist the officer in charge in resolving complaints • Appoint a Public Complaint Director
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The City of Airdrie provides input to the Airdrie Detachment of the RCMP through a Municipal Advisory Board. The below sections describe the governance structure and responsibilities for the RCMP, Municipal Enforcement and RCMP Detachment Support Staff.
4.2.1 Municipal Advisory Board
The City of Airdrie has a Municipal Advisory Board that acts as a conduit between the City and the RCMP. The Municipal Advisory Board is a municipally authorized policing committee that can provide comments and concerns to the RCMP for consideration and provide input in the creation of annual plans and priorities for policing the City of Airdrie.
The Municipal Advisory Board can work directly with the RCMP to:9
• Assist with setting priorities for policing in their communities • Communicate the public and municipality council’s interests • Develop annual plans
4.2.2 City of Airdrie Employees
The City of Airdrie has oversight responsibilities for the Municipal Enforcement Team and RCMP Detachment Support Staff. The City is responsible for human resource management of these individuals including discipline and grievances, but the day-to-day operational responsibilities are under the purview of the RCMP Detachment Commander.
The Municipal Enforcement officers and administrative staff report directly to Team Leader responsible for each area independently, and these Team Leaders subsequently report to the Manager of Protective Services. The Manager of Protective Services reports directly to the Director of Community Safety who has a direct reporting line to the CAO. The CAO reports to the Mayor and City Council, who are elected by the citizens of Airdrie.
4.3 Financial Information
The City of Airdrie currently spends approximately $10 million a year on Protective Services net of revenue generation. The net annual costs have been growing at an average rate of 15% over the last five years. The financial information is summarized in the following table for each of the four cost areas: RCMP Expenditures, Civilian Staff Expenditures, Municipal Enforcement Expenditures, Building and Maintenance Expenditures. Protective Services revenue is also included.
Table 16 – Summary Expenditures and Revenue
14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 Expenditures RCMP Final Costs at Contract Partner Share $5,286,781 $6,805,715 $8,064,351 $9,374,704 $9,307,929 Civilian Staff $1,306,283 $1,519,288 $1,657,900 $1,829,967 $2,134,493 Municipal Enforcement $1,577,185 $1,850,576 $1,734,940 $1,750,128 $1,814,528 Building and Maintenance $181,825 $264,987 $267,524 $263,640 $275,554
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14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 Total Expenditures $8,352,074 $10,440,566 $11,724,715 $13,218,439 $13,532,504 Revenue Total Revenue $2,572,623 $3,113,797 $3,698,136 $3,692,097 $3,678,295 Net $5,779,451 $7,326,769 $8,026,579 $9,526,342 $9,854,209
Further detail for each of the cost areas as well as revenue is provided in the following sections.
4.3.1 RCMP Expenditures
The City of Airdrie’s municipal policing contract requires the city be responsible for 90% of the costs associated with policing services provided by the RCMP. The remaining 10% is the responsibility of the Federal government. This cost-sharing agreement of 90/10 is in place for all communities policed by the RCMP with a population over 15,000. The average cost for Airdrie’s portion of the annual expenditures was $7.8 million over the last five years and has grown at an annual average rate of 16%.
There are items that the city is 100% responsible for which include Airdrie Accommodations, Corps of Commissionaires, and Prisoner Expenditures. These items are removed from the contract partner share amounts as adjustments and added back in at 100% prior to the final costs being shared with the city. The city also receives an annual Alberta First Responder Radio Communication System (AFRRCS) credit that is removed from the calculation during the adjustment before the contract partner share is determined.
The City of Airdrie receives quarterly invoices from the RCMP based on budgeted policing costs and the final costs and amounts are reconciled at the end of the fiscal year.
The table below includes detailed RCMP expenditures including direct and indirect costs, and necessary adjustments as described above. Most expenditures are self-evident but further explanations are provided below for those line items that are less discernible:
• Other Services: postage, courier, messenger, transportation of things (other than postage), telecom services, publication services, advertising, fleet management, hospitality, membership fees, clothing alterations and laundry services • Professional Services: management consultants, business services investigational services, independent police department members’ overtime • CADC: Crown Assets Distribution Centre – manages sales of Canadian government surplus goods • General Repairs: unit-controlled repairs and maintenance • Equipment and Supplies: photographic goods, firearms, weapons, accessories, parts, ammunition and explosives, stationary, clothing and kits, house furnishings, protective gear, miscellaneous food, chemicals, printed matter, medical products, lab equipment, computer equipment, software, audio-visual aids, investigational aids, office equipment, security equipment • Division Administration: health services, legal services, administrative personnel for the Division and the region, costs associated with leaves, centralized service costs. The Division Administration costs are determined based on a set amount per Member in the Division and are charged to the City based on the annual Member utilization.
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Table 17 – RCMP Expenditures (2014/15-2018/19)
14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 Direct Costs Member Pay $3,232,997 $3,946,258 $4,489,313 $5,250,563 $5,067,069 Overtime $429,584 $635,647 $745,691 $1,014,662 $1,315,329 Travel $14,847 $16,233 $12,575 $14,466 $16,574 Training $9,150 $13,165 $61,524 $25,629 $46,945 Training Travel $43,451 $69,946 $57,747 $99,935 $105,795 Other Services $18,332 $24,235 $21,151 $13,280 $23,472 Airdrie Accommodations (100%) $87 $378 $956 $0 -$137 Corps of Commissionaire (100%) $53,376 $91,329 $102,374 $115,691 $121,889 Professional Services $19,253 $15,934 $7,867 $21,003 $82,379 CADC -$1,079 $0 -$981 -$10,636 -$7,100 Rentals $11,091 $14,413 $24,951 $22,982 $17,049 General Repairs $0 $41 $0 $585 $0 Vehicle Repairs $60,125 $61,260 $37,417 $68,012 $85,061 Equipment Repairs $2,427 $2,513 $3,679 $4,482 $4,402 Utility Services / Heating $0 $2,461 $3,789 $0 $0 Fuel $77,904 $83,171 $88,721 $113,686 $133,260 Vehicle Changeovers and Parts $17,249 $16,379 $85,960 $84,178 $56,205 Equipment and Supplies $101,115 $191,030 $165,221 $211,366 $136,135 Prisoner Expenses (100%) $0 $267 $581 $441 $19 Sundry $0 $2,321 $5,744 $1,011 $785 Radio Communication Equipment $10,510 $12,754 $1,958 $141,503 $148,695 Vehicles – Capital $55,125 $87,314 $235,289 $125,139 $91,390 Total Direct Costs $4,155,545 $5,287,050 $6,151,528 $7,317,977 $7,445,214 Indirect Costs Employee Benefit Plans $763,818 $1,033,958 $1,179,026 $1,351,503 $1,140,519 Division Administration $715,264 $939,232 $1,136,147 $1,349,982 $1,340,862 National Programs $126,085 $0 $0 $0 $0 Cadet Training Program $0 $128,445 $170,864 $210,191 $233,842 Recruiting $0 $45,714 $59,099 $64,720 $66,666 Public Complaints Commission $17,143 $21,428 $23,303 $24,319 $26,414 PROS $20,390 $25,243 $27,294 $29,793 $36,616 Legal Services $6,016 $7,485 $8,779 $9,310 $9,373 Enhanced Reporting and Accountability $4,320 $5,268 $6,088 $6,372 $6,322 Consolidated Services – Internal $0 $39,520 $0 $0 $0
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14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 Consolidated Services – External $39,520 $0 $39,520 $39,520 $39,520 Total Indirect Costs $1,692,556 $2,246,293 $2,650,120 $3,085,710 $2,900,134 Total Adjustments Prior to Contract Partner Share -$36,490 -$77,712 $39,161 -$116,886 -$138,505 Sub-Total Costs Prior to Cost Share $5,811,611 $7,455,631 $8,840,809 $10,286,801 $10,206,843 Total Costs at Contract Partner Share (90%) $5,230,450 $6,710,068 $7,956,728 $9,258,121 $9,186,158 Total Adjustments After Contract Partner Share $56,331 $95,647 $107,623 $116,583 $121,771 Final Costs at Contract Partner Share $5,286,781 $6,805,715 $8,064,351 $9,374,704 $9,307,929
4.3.2 Civilian Staff Expenditures
According to the Municipal Police Service Agreement between the RCMP and the City of Airdrie, the city is responsible for providing all necessary support staff to the RCMP. The average annual cost of the Civilian support staff over the last 5 years was approximately $1.7 million and has grown at an average rate of 13% annually.
In addition to the support staff that work directly with the RCMP in the Protective Services Building, the City supplies support staff for human resources, finance, procurement and information technology resources. These costs were estimated by the City at $275,000 annually (2.5 FTE at $110,000 per FTE) inflated at a rate of 2% per year. Additional hardware / software costs were estimated at $975 per employee per year.
The table below provides the detailed expenditures that the city incurs related to RCMP detachment civilian staff members.
Table 18 – RCMP Detachment Civilian Staff Expenditures (2014/15-2018/19)
14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 Salaries and Wages Salaries $761,435 $850,153 $953,493 $1,000,883 $1,228,188 Overtime $18,856 $28,382 $27,472 $49,895 $48,627 Wages $32,507 $62,718 $102,465 $145,848 $175,552 Benefits $194,089 $228,463 $257,722 $292,018 $339,825 Estimated Support Staff Costs (HR, IT, $275,000 $280,500 $286,110 $291,832 $297,669 Procurement etc.) Total Salaries & Wages $1,281,887 $1,450,216 $1,627,262 $1,780,476 $2,089,861
Other Training $2,832 $4,935 $2,715 $6,142 $5,802 Travel $1,759 $3,063 $1,360 $1,250 $2,861 Telephone $3,936 $572 $572 $638 $999 Technology Services $197 $4,577 $5,718 $5,916 $4,607 Goods $3,972 $9,112 $520 $11,776 $2,491 Grants $0 $3,500 $3,500 $3,500 $4,000 Added to Operation Reserves $0 $28,000 $0 $0 $0
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14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 Bank Service Charges $0 $2,150 $2,115 $2,972 $3,650 Hardware / Software $11,700 $13,163 $14,138 $17,297 $20,222 Total Other $24,396 $69,072 $30,638 $49,491 $44,632 Total Civilian Staff Costs $1,306,283 $1,519,288 $1,657,900 $1,829,967 $2,134,493
4.3.3 Municipal Enforcement Expenditures
Municipal Enforcement employees are separate from the RCMP and under the purview of the City of Airdrie. Therefore, the city is responsible for 100% of the costs associated with these peace officers. Hardware / software costs were again estimated at $975 per employee per year. Total average annual costs for Municipal Enforcement over the last 5 years were approximately $1.75 million with an annual average increase of 4% over the same period.
The table below provides the detailed expenditures that the city incurs for the Municipal Enforcement Program. Fuel, vehicles and maintenance costs are not included in these expenditures as these costs are considered as shared costs within the City of Airdrie and are not allocated to respective cost centres.
Table 19 – Municipal Enforcement Expenditures (2014/15-2018/19)
14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 Salaries and Wages Salaries $1,132,672 $1,321,097 $1,183,811 $1,181,177 $1,222,361 Overtime $26,146 $33,112 $27,625 $39,991 $31,378 Wages $20,263 $14,220 $33,385 $33,759 $35,126 Benefits $294,740 $324,540 $307,444 $319,435 $328,155 Total Salaries & Wages $1,473,821 $1,692,969 $1,552,266 $1,574,362 $1,617,020 Other Training $5,828 $5,739 $10,630 $4,838 $21,699 Travel $4,273 $5,465 $3,924 $3,412 $7,101 Cell Phone $7,211 $8,717 $10,781 $8,946 $11,291 Purchased Services $30,210 $35,768 $35,019 $37,066 $42,914 Advertising / Printing / Stationary $1,940 $4,472 $3,179 $5,378 $8,356 Professional Membership Fees $535 $335 $0 $350 $0 Insurance Premiums $7,933 $22,007 $29,357 $11,002 $7,969 Incident/Loss -$3,907 $6,389 $2,500 $5,943 $7,564 Technology Services $10,521 $19,101 $30,290 $29,231 $26,789 Goods $22,500 $31,428 $39,657 $49,512 $45,345 Bank Service Charges $2,181 $4,048 $3,199 $4,000 $3,367 Hardware / Software $14,138 $14,138 $14,138 $16,088 $15,113 Total Other $103,364 $157,607 $182,674 $175,766 $197,507 Total ME Employee Costs $1,577,185 $1,850,576 $1,734,940 $1,750,128 $1,814,528
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4.3.4 Building and Maintenance Expenditures
The building that the RCMP, civilian staff and Municipal Enforcement are based out of is a city-owned building. The City incurs all building costs; however, does generate rental income from the RCMP’s regional office that rents out the 2nd floor. The average annual costs over the 5-year analysis period were $250,000 and have experienced an average annual increase of 12% over the 5-year period. Average annual rent revenue was $557,000 over the same five-year period (RCMP provincial resources are also using this space). Capital related costs including building debt and interest have not been included.
The table below provides building and maintenance expenditures incurred by the City of Airdrie. Purchased services include janitorial work, mats, landscaping, snow removal and garbage disposal, and building and maintenance includes parts and labour for building operations work.
Table 20 – Building and Maintenance Expenditures (2014/15-2018/19)
14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 Building and Maintenance Costs Insurance $0 $5,690 $4,350 $16,592 $12,067 Incident/Loss $2,202 $0 $0 $0 $2,509 Natural Gas $4,870 $7,570 $8,565 $7,735 $7,704 Power $64,517 $62,921 $68,644 $69,179 $67,147 Purchased Services $88,095 $146,162 $148,862 $136,851 $150,480 Water/Sewer $617 $2,100 $1,598 $2,142 $2,711 Building Maintenance $21,524 $40,545 $35,506 $31,141 $32,936 Total Building and Maintenance Costs $181,825 $264,987 $267,524 $263,640 $275,554
4.3.5 Protective Services Expenditure Summary
The majority of public safety expenditures are attributed to the RCMP at an average of 68% of total spending over the past five (5) years. Building and maintenance costs, which are offset through rental revenue, account for an average of 2% of expenditures annually. The final 30% of expenditures are accounted for by Municipal Enforcement (15%) and RCMP Detachment civilian staff (15%).
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Building 2%
ME 15%
Civilian 15% RCMP 68%
Figure 5 – Average Percentage of Expenditures
4.3.6 Revenue
There are various forms of revenue that the city receives related to Protective Services including a provincial police grant, building rentals, fine revenue for both the RCMP and Municipal Enforcement Team, and front counter service charges (criminal records checks, fingerprinting etc.). The annual average revenue was $3.4 million and growing at 10% average annual growth compared to expenditures growing at an average annual rate of 16%. The table below provides the last five years of detail for Airdrie’s Protective Services revenue.
Table 21 – Revenue (2014/15-2018/19)
14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19
Grants Provincial Police Grant $993,840 $1,078,256 $1,139,040 $1,189,472 $1,238,752 Total Grant Revenue $993,840 $1,078,256 $1,139,040 $1,189,472 $1,238,752 Building Rentals 1st Floor RCMP $233,004 $233,004 $233,004 $233,004 $233,004 2nd Floor RCMP (SAD) $197,833 $341,853 $341,853 $341,853 $341,853 1st Floor Flex Space (ERT) $0 $0 $18,000 $18,000 $18,000 Total Rent Revenue $430,837 $574,857 $592,857 $592,857 $592,857 RCMP Fine Revenue Gross Fine Revenue $828,222 $1,195,608 $1,942,950 $1,957,252 $2,016,221 AB Fine Retention/Vic Services -$216,380 -$359,142 -$669,442 -$684,644 -$705,743 Total RCMP Fine Revenue $611,842 $836,466 $1,273,508 $1,272,608 $1,310,478
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14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19
ME Fine Revenue Gross Fine Revenue $576,718 $706,188 $833,891 $740,652 $545,477 AB Fine Retention/Vic Services -$150,814 -$211,000 -$285,997 -$259,204 -$191,384 Total ME Fine Revenue $425,904 $495,188 $547,894 $481,448 $354,093 Front Counter Service Charges Criminal Records Check $86,760 $105,300 $117,860 $125,670 $150,865 Fingerprinting $16,765 $16,205 $16,610 $17,045 $20,055 Insurance Letters & Criminal Reports $5,745 $6,425 $8,012 $10,197 $7,640 Certifying True Copies $905 $1,050 $2,280 $2,800 $3,480 Re-Issuance of Documents $25 $50 $75 $0 $75 Total FCSC Revenue $110,200 $129,030 $144,837 $155,712 $182,115 Total Revenue $2,572,623 $3,113,797 $3,698,136 $3,692,097 $3,678,295
4.3.6.1 Expense and Revenue Proportion
The figure below provides a visual representation of expenditures, revenues and the resulting net for the City of Airdrie’s Protective Services branch. Revenues have remained proportionately constant over time, meeting an average of 23% of expenditures with the City responsible for covering the remaining 77%.
Figure 6 – Summary Financials for the City of Airdrie’s Protective Services Branch
$14,000,000
$12,000,000
$10,000,000
$8,000,000 • Expenditures Revenue $6,000,000 • • Net $4,000,000
$2,000,000
$0 14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19
Figure 6 shows the expenditure and revenue growth over time. The expenditures are growing more quickly at an average rate of 13% annually, whereas the revenues have been growing at an average rate of 10% annually. Revenue has been flat during the 2017 to 2019 period.
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4.3.7 Capital Expenditures
The City of Airdrie completed a Facility Space Needs Assessment in 2019. The assessment identified two (2) areas within the Police Services Building that were of higher importance requiring updates: front counter redesign and the men's and ladies' locker rooms. A significant cost estimate was provided for these spaces. Furthermore, the undeveloped space in the first floor of the building was deemed not sufficient for the potential growth in protective services team in 10-years and the City will need to look at extending the building and/or a satellite building on the West side of Airdrie if current 2nd floor use is kept as is. This need for additional space will be experienced regardless of the protective services model chosen by the City.
Airdrie has spent, on average, $247,566 annually since 2014 on capital expenditures. These expenditures range from furniture and renovations to parking and storage. The below table provides the detailed capital expenditures for the City of Airdrie from 2014/15 to 2018/19.
Table 22 – Capital Expenditures (2014/15-2018/19)
14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19
Capital Expenditures Front Counter Redesign - $28,349 $369,115 - - 2 Highland – Furniture Reconfiguration - - - $225,333 - Emergency Backup Generator 2 HP - - $10,740 $104,579 $455,518 Furniture and Equipment for New GIS office - - - - $44,195 Secure Parking & Storage - - - - - Total Capital Expenditures $0 $28,349 $379,855 $329,912 $499,713
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5 CURRENT STATE ASSESSMENT
In order to analyze the evaluation areas (Service Delivery, Governance and Financial Expenditures) of Protective Services for the City of Airdrie several data and information sources were used. These information sources included:
• 2019 RCMP Satisfaction Survey • City of Airdrie – Policing Model Study Survey (on-line public survey) • City of Airdrie Townhall • Stakeholder Interviews • Other Jurisdictional Research / Benchmarking
The analysis from this section will be used as the base to build potential future-state policing models keeping in mind the areas of importance garnered from consultation and research.
For full RCMP and on-line public survey results, see Appendix G and Appendix H.
5.1 Service Delivery
5.1.1 Strengths
Service delivery strengths and weaknesses were discussed at length in stakeholder interviews, the on-line public survey, 2019 RCMP Satisfaction Survey and townhall session. The majority of stakeholders (>50%) agree that the current service provision by the RCMP and Municipal Enforcement is strong, with responses ranging from acceptable to very positive. Similarly, respondents agree that the service provision provided by both the RCMP and Municipal Enforcement Team currently meet the needs of the City of Airdrie.
The reputation of the RCMP is perceived to be strong and the high-level of service that they provide is essential, including the ease of access to specialized services such as the Emergency Response Team and the Dogs Team. Many RCMP members, including those assigned to special teams, live in Calgary or Airdrie which allows for ease of service delivery. There were comments about how there are several RCMP officers who have stayed in Airdrie for a long period of time which lends to consistency and relationship building, especially because they might have received offers elsewhere but decided to stay in Airdrie.
Multiple stakeholders indicated how successful and well-received the Mental Health Task Force and the community liaison officers are. Stakeholders indicated that there seems to be an increase in positive interactions with police and community members and that the community is generally satisfied with the service provision. Survey results concur with this these sentiments.
Stakeholders indicated that the front counter support staff are excellent and that having all Protective Services employees in the same building (RCMP and Municipal Enforcement) is positive as there is a strong relationship between staff and many joint initiatives have been undertaken. Overall, the RCMP are pleased that the Municipal Enforcement Officers take the burden of some non-emergency calls from them.
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5.1.2 Weaknesses
5.1.2.1 Survey Results
Although public responses regarding service delivery were positive, there were several suggestions provided by survey respondents on how to improve service provision:
The common themes identified from both the 2019 RCMP Satisfaction Survey and City of Airdrie – Policing Model Study Survey (on-line public survey) regarding the perceived quality of RCMP service delivery included the following:
• Need an increase in community policing / visibility (especially at night) • Increase positive public relations and communication • There is too much focus on infractions, not enough on “real” crime • Property crime needs to be better dealt with • More traffic enforcement is needed • Additional resources needed • Slow response times • Reactive not proactive • Uncaring and disorganized
Common themes regarding the perceived quality of Municipal Enforcement service provision included:
• Need to enforce bylaws better • Unnecessary service compared to RCMP (redundant) • Need more resources/longer hours/patrols • Strong community interaction/caring and friendly/visible and responsive • Poor response times • Rude, unprofessional, and inconsistent
Just over half of citizens were unaware of the RCMP’s 2019 policing priorities (traffic, crime reduction and community engagement), and when given the opportunity, the top three priorities chosen for 2020 were crime prevention (19%), property crime (17%) and domestic violence (13%). This is in alignment with concerns from stakeholders through both interviews and the townhall session regarding their perception of increased crime within the city, especially that of property crime and domestic violence. Additional perceived trends within the city include an increase in:
• Robberies • Shootings • Crimes Against Persons • Traffic Infractions • Neighbour Disputes
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During stakeholder interviews, it was indicated that the perceived uptick in crime could be due to an increase in the homeless population and mental health issues in the community. The perception that response times are slow was also a concern to citizens.
Stakeholders noted that there also seems to be an increase in misleading information on social media about crimes and what is going on in the city, which can be difficult on the community members and Protective Services’ members.
5.1.2.2 Stakeholder Interview Results
Interviewed stakeholders mentioned several challenges in the current model and made suggestions for improvements for future consideration. The following sections provide the detail for each of the most commonly identified challenges.
Human Resource Management
Firstly, human resource management challenges were mentioned by several stakeholders. It was indicated that there is a high rate of turnover for RCMP Members and have been a high number of RCMP leaves / vacancies that were not filled over the last five years. In addition, there is concern the RCMP are often asking for more Members to increase authorized strength even though they are unable to reach the current authorization level. There have been several vacancies over the last few years (vacancy rate has averaged 11% during the period this report studied).
Furthermore, there is concern that the City is responsible for RCMP civilian support employees, including training, discipline, and human resource management, but the employees work directly for and report operationally to the RCMP. City representatives reported challenges appropriately or effectively dealing with these human resource issues when they are not involved in the day to day work. Civilian support employees take direction from the RCMP but are required to operate within City policies, pay structures and procedures. It was reported that every RCMP Commanding Officer has historically managed these issues in their own way and the level of communication and transparency with the City varies depending on the Commanding Officer.
Communication and Radio System Technology
Communication was identified as a challenge, specifically between the RCMP and the Municipal Enforcement Team and the radio communications systems they use to support operations. The newly implemented Alberta First Responders Radio Communication System (AFRRCS) was noted as particularly problematic. Municipal Enforcement Officers do not have access to RCMP radio channels. Although a work-around has been developed by having a ME radio in the Detachment, the lack of facilitated communication is perceived to be a negative and a gesture that limits the trust and resulting cohesion between the teams. A bulletin was recently released indicating that “K” Division is currently running a pilot project with Okotoks and Grand Prairie for their radio code to be shared with peace officers in those communities.10 The hope is that this pilot project will be successful and that radio codes will soon be shared with the Municipal Enforcement Team in Airdrie as well. Although, if these codes are shared with the ME team, there would be a need for three radios and increased complication.
Furthermore, the RCMP does not provide information or access to the Canadian Police Information Centre system (CPIC), which City representatives perceive can lead to potentially dangerous situations. The Municipal Enforcement Team may enter situations where they believe they are responding to a bylaw infraction, but it may
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be a more serious criminal situation that could have been identified had they had access to CPIC information and addresses of known offenders etc.
There is the perception that the RCMP and ME teams are not always as cohesive and working ‘in-step’ as they could be. Reporting to separate entities and leadership with similar but sometimes different mandates has been challenging at times. Again, the City reports that this can vary depending on the RCMP Detachment Commander and, at times, cohesion between the RCMP and ME is higher in some paradigms than others. Airdrie Municipal Enforcement officers are peace officers under provincial legislation and have security clearances; however, they do not have access to parts of the building or share all information as previously described (i.e. CPIC information).
Perception of Crime Trends
It was noted that there is a perception that Airdrie has a lack of services for a community of its size and rate of population growth because of its proximity to Calgary e.g. a hospital. Stakeholders also mentioned that they have noticed an increase of crime coming from Calgary and surrounding areas and not from within Airdrie itself. There is a commuter trend in the city where many people are not in Airdrie during the day and return at night. It was reported anecdotally that some in the community are not comfortable with the level of policing within the City and would prefer to see additional officers to patrol the streets during these times.
Sharing of RCMP Resources
Finally, stakeholders indicated concerns regarding rural and municipal RCMP resources and the file sharing that might be occurring between both groups. Airdrie operates an integrated detachment, with RCMP officers dedicated to the Municipal contract with Airdrie and officers that are dedicated to the provincial policing agreement with Alberta for the rural area surrounding Airdrie operating out of the same building. Stakeholders perceive that the officers dedicated to the municipal policing contract are assisting on rural calls for service because there are only two (2) officers on shift at any time who are responsible for all areas surrounding the city. Furthermore, the front counter staff, who are City employees, are responsible for assisting any citizens that walk in the door, some of which are from the rural areas surrounding the City. The City charges for fingerprinting and criminal records checks which helps provide revenue for the City, but rural citizens do not pay for these same services that are completed by City employees.
5.1.3 Analysis
In addition to stakeholder consultation, several data sets were provided by the RCMP and the City. This included human resource information specific to utilization and vacancies and calls for service or occurrence data for the City as well as annual financial expenditures.
Benchmarking was completed against several other police services of similar size, or of interest to the Senior Leadership Team. Several of the benchmarked cities / towns are policed by the RCMP and others have their own municipal police service. Information was garnered from Statistics Canada for comparison to ensure that data from each individual service was describing the same information as comparable as possible. There were some variations in the authorized strength and police officer numbers for Airdrie between Statistics Canada and the data provided directly for this review. For benchmarking purposes, only the Statistics Canada information was used.
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5.1.3.1 Human Resource Management
Airdrie RCMP authorized strength has increased by an average of 12% over the last 6 years from 39 Members to 65. The utilization, or working members, increased by an average of 8% annually from 37 working Members to almost 54 in 2019. Based on the vacancy data provided, Airdrie RCMP had an average of 91% its authorized strength over the last 6 years. The lowest vacancy rate of 3% occurred in 2017 and peaked at 17% of its authorized strength in 2019. Vacancy data did not discern between hard and soft vacancies so MNP was unable to determine how many of the Member positions were not filled and how many vacancies could be attributed to leaves. Authorized strength has increased each year as has utilization. Authorized strength was not reached in any of the years of study. In 2015 and 2019 the authorized strengths were increased by two Members and there were less Members working in the community than the previous year. The most recent two years, 2018 and 2019, had the highest proportion of vacancies with 14% and 17% of authorized strength.
Table 23 – RCMP Authorized Strength, Utilization and Vacancies for RCMP (2014-2019)
14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 Average Authorized Strength ------41 49 54 63 65 54 Utilization 36.02 44.60 52.30 54.16 53.81 48 Total Vacancies 4.98 4.40 1.70 8.84 11.19 6.22 Vacancy % of Auth Strength 12% 9% 3% 14% 17% 11%
Figure 7 – Airdrie Municipal RCMP Authorized Strength, Utilization and Vacancies
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0 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19
Utilization Vacancies Auth Strength - - Data for RCMP Member turnover of length of post in Airdrie was not provided for analysis.
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5.1.3.2 Policing Resources and Population Changes
The population of Airdrie has grown at an average annual rate of 5% between 2014 and 2018. The authorized strength for the RCMP has grown by 12% and the utilization has increased by 11% over the same period. RCMP resources have increased at a higher rate than the population. Growth such as this is often due to service demands including but not limited to the incidence of crime, other public safety priority needs, the severity of the crime that is occurring or a desire for increased service delivery.
Table 24 – Percentage Change in Population, Authorized Strength and Working Members 2014-2018
14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 Average Population 56,892 -----60,567 64,003 67,306 70,327 63,819 Annual % Change - 6% 6% 5% 4% 5% RCMP Authorized Strength 41 49 54 63 65 54.4 Annual % Change - 20% 10% 17% 3% 12% Working Members 36.02 44.60 52.30 54.16 53.81 48.2 Annual % Change - 24% 17% 4% -1% 11%
5.1.3.3 Airdrie Policing Activity and Crime Trends
In the stakeholder consultation it was noted that there was a perception that crime has been increasing in Airdrie in recent years. According to RCMP data, total criminal related incidents as well as other police activities have increased by an average of 6% annually between 2014 and 2018 which was similar to the population increase of 5% (see Section 4.1.4 for further details on policing activity data). The number of Working FTEs increased at rate of 11% over the same period.
Table 25 – Percentage Change in Population and Police Activities 2014-2018
Category 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Average Population ------56,892 60,567 64,003 67,306 70,327 63,819 % Change – 6% 6% 5% 4% 5% Total Crime Stats 3,993 5,141 4,508 4,667 4,928 4,647 % Change - 29% -12% 4% 6% 6% Total Other Police Activity Stats 8,848 9,734 11,501 10,254 11,040 10,275 % Change - 10% 18% -11% 8% 6% Total Working Members 36.02 44.60 52.30 54.16 53.81 48.2 % Change - 24% 17% 4% -1% 11%
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Figure 8 – Total Crime and Activity per Officer in the City of Airdrie from 2014-2018
300
250 ········'' - r:•·•········•···•··•nn iii! 200 1;·•····························: '·········- 150
100 '''···························' : ~ •••• • • • • • • • • • ••••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• ; 2 ,, ......
50
0 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Total Crime / Officer Total Other Activity / Officer Linear (Total Crime / Officer) Linear (Total Other Activity / Officer)
The crime severity index (CSI) for Airdrie was consistent between 2014-2018 with an average of 58.06 over the period, peaking in 2015 at 69.10, which was the same year criminal statistics peaked. The Violent CSI has not increased materially over the analysis period and decreased in the last two years while the Non-Violent CSI increased significantly the year the overall CSI peaked and then returned to approximately 60 for the following years. All three CSI indicators had a decreasing trend between 2014-2018 (see Figure 10).
Table 26 – City of Airdrie's Crime Severity Index from 2014-2018
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Average Airdrie Crime Severity Index 55.80 69.10 57.82 53.40 54.17 58.06 Violent Crime CSI 42.13 42.36 42.60 36.59 33.12 39.36 Non-Violent Crime CSI 60.66 78.68 63.16 59.32 61.61 64.69 Alberta Crime Severity Index 87.55 104.49 105.99 111.99 112.05 104.41
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Figure 9 – City of Airdrie's Crime Severity Index 2014-2018
80 70 ······················ 60 ····················································································
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0 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Airdrie Crime Severity Index Violent Crime CSI - Non-Violent Crime CSI - Linear (Airdrie Crime Severity Index) - Linear (Violent Crime CSI) Linear (Non-Violent Crime CSI)
Over the analysis period the population, criminal activity and other policing activity have increased at similar rates of 5%, 6% and 6% respectively within a paradigm within which the CSI produces a slightly decreasing trend. However, the number of Working RCMP FTEs in the City have increased at a higher rate of 11% while authorized strength has increase by an average of 12% annually over the same period.
5.1.3.4 Alberta Peace Officer Program Analysis and Best Practices
Written correspondence and video interviews were conducted with Government of Alberta representatives including the Executive Director, Law Enforcement Oversight Branch, Director, Law Enforcement Standards and Audits, and Manager, Peace Officer and Security Services Program to discuss best practices for peace officers within the Province of Alberta. A representative from the Alberta Association of Community Peace Officers (ACPO) was also corresponded with regarding the various dispatch systems utilized by association members, having recently conducted a Dispatch Survey.
There are 318 authorized employers of peace officers (including those in government departments) and 2,788 Community Peace Officers (CPOs) in Alberta. Most municipalities employ, on average, one (1) to two (2) CPOs, whereas those numbers increase up to 200 CPOs in large urban areas such as Edmonton and Calgary. The numbers vary for mid-sized municipalities with each city determining how best to organize their individual programs based on city needs and through identifying potential gaps in services from their police service that can be filled by peace officers. The sole purpose of peace officers is to provide levels of government the opportunity to employ peace officers for community safety enhancement or specialized law enforcement needs within their communities.
The majority of authorized peace officer employers utilize their CPOs as bylaw officers (as defined under the Municipal Governance Act) to enforce local bylaws. Designating CPOs as “bylaw officers” is a responsibility of the authorized employer and the Peace Officer Program (Program) is not responsible for “bylaw officers”. For the most part, the following are common legislation that are enforced by CPOs:
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• Animal Protection Act • Dangerous Dog Act • Gaming, Liquor and cannabis Act (restricted to certain sections) • Highway Development and Protection Act (restricted to certain sections) • Provincial Offences Procedure Act • Traffic Safety Act • Fuel Tax Act • Tobacco and Smoking Reduction Act
There are no best practices surrounding when communities look at separating services such as animal control, parking control, traffic enforcement etc. and no one model works for every community. The Program is flexible for the needs of each authorized employer and the Program does not provide advice outside of the requirements of legislation and policy which do not address specific service delivery. However, the majority of CPOs in the Province of Alberta are bylaw officers who enforce both provincial legislation and bylaws. The Program will work through a Needs Assessment with communities looking to start a peace officer program or who believe that their needs are shifting with regards to their currently formed program. The Program would assist the city in reviewing gaps in service from the local police or enforcement services that the city would like to focus on.
All authorized peace officer employers must enter into a memorandum of understanding with their police service of jurisdiction. Although some authorized employers are more integrated with their police service of jurisdiction than others, this is a decision between those two entities and not a requirement under the Program. In jurisdictions where the CPOs and sworn officers are more fully integrated, communication seems to be the largest hurdle in terms of integration. At various times communities have integrated their CPO’s completely into the command structure of the police service for the community (Lethbridge), some where there is a hybrid approach (Red Deer and Grande Prairie), and some where they are not integrated at all.
RCMP “K” Division Commanding Officer is supportive of the Alberta Peace Officer Program, as is the leadership team. A structure of communication starts with Mayor and Council and monthly meetings with the RCMP should not only focus on crime statistics but also of the needs of constituents and what of these needs may be best met through the utilization of CPOs. There needs to be a conscious effort by both parties for teamwork and collaboration and this starts from leadership down to the front lines.
In terms of dispatch solutions, after the Lazenby Fatality Inquiry, the Program instituted policy that requires all authorized employers to implement a communications system that allows them to know where their officers are during a shift and ensure officers can call for assistance when needed. The type of system utilized will depend on the needs of the community and can range from online apps monitored through the PRCC to traditional dispatch systems. A policy must be implemented to reflect the new requirements, the frequency and circumstances under which officers must check in, and the response process if officers are overdue reporting in. Most agencies are utilizing the Provincial Radio Control Centre (PRCC) system for monitoring of their officers. PRCC, and the police agencies do not dispatch officers or take calls. Foothills, Yellowhead and Parkland offer services including dispatch. The following list indicates the officer dispatch/monitoring utilized by most municipalities:
• PRCC – Provincial Radio Control Centre (Must be on AFRRCS system) • Foothills Dispatch
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• Parkland Dispatch • Yellowhead Dispatch • Lacombe Police Service • Lethbridge Police Service • Calgary 911
All authorized employers must implement a communications system, but it is the authorize employer’s decision to determine if this includes a dispatch system as well. Best practices for law enforcement agencies would suggest that this should be considered, but this is contingent on the number of CPOs employed and the volume of calls for service they receive.
Although not mandated, it appears that most of the authorized employers use “Report Exec” software, but the Program does not mandate the type of software that can be used. The only requirement of the software chosen by an authorized employer is that it must allow for “supervisory review of individual peace officer files”.
5.1.4 Benchmarking
This report compares Airdrie to several municipalities identified in conjunction with the Senior Leadership Team. The following sections detail the results of those comparisons.
5.1.4.1 Policing Resources
In 2018, the average rate of police strength per 100,000 population across Canada was 185 officers.11 The City of Airdrie is well below the national average with an estimated 81 police officers per 100,000. The City has significantly less police officers per capita than the other benchmarked cities/towns including both those that have the RCMP as their contracted service provider as well as those with their own municipal police service.
The closest comparator for other locations with the RCMP as service provider based on the number of Police Officers/100,000 population was Richmond at 102 Officers/100,000 population. The average for the RCMP comparators was 153 Police Officers/100,000 population.
Table 27 – RCMP Municipal Police Resource Comparison (Average from 2014-2018) 12,13
Grande Wood Airdrie Richmond Strathcona Kelowna Red Deer Thompson Prairie Buffalo
Police Service RCMP RCMP RCMP RCMP RCMP RCMP RCMP RCMP
Population 63,819 206,595 76,599 132,833 65,677 103,453 70,953 13,993
Total Police Officers 52 210 87 177 88 161 149 36
Police Officers per 81 102 114 133 135 156 210 256 100,000 Population Authorized Police 54 212 90 183 97 157 184 38 Officer Strength Authorized Police Officer Strength per 84 103 117 138 147 152 260 273 100,000 Population
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The average police officers/100,000 population for cities with their own municipal police service was higher than that of the RCMP comparators with a total of 165. Sarnia had the lowest number of officers/100,000 population with 150 even though it has a similar population to Airdrie.
Table 28 – Municipal Police Service Police Resource Comparison (Average 2014-2018)12,13
Medicine Thunder Airdrie Sarnia Camrose Calgary Taber Delta Brantford Lethbridge Brandon Hat Bay Police Muni Muni Muni Muni Muni Muni Muni Muni Muni Muni RCMP Service Service Service Service Service Service Service Service Service Service Service 1.3 Population 63,819 74,099 19,090 8,644 107,423 101,282 98,688 64,781 48,743 117,502 million
Total Police 52 109 28 2,126 14 164 171 168 110 81 226 Officers
Police Officers per 81 147 149 167 164 152 169 170 170 166 193 100,000 Population Authorized Police 54 111 31 2,068 14 180 172 174 114 86 221 Officer Strength Authorized Police Officer 84 150 160 162 167 168 169 176 176 177 188 Strength per 100,000 Population
The total number of police officers/100,000 population was significantly lower in Airdrie than comparator locations, both RCMP and municipal police services. The following sub-sections compares additional statistics to compare those cities and provide context to the number of officers they deploy per capita.
5.1.4.2 Crime Statistics, CSI and Clearance Rates
Airdrie had the lowest average CSI (58.06) for the benchmarked communities with RCMP municipal resources. Airdrie also had the lowest number of incidents/100,000 population for the RCMP policed municipalities and one of the lowest incidents/officer. Airdrie’s clearance rate of 29.99 is typical compared to other RCMP policed communities.
The weighted clearance rate is based on the same principles as the Police Reported Crime Severity Index (CSI), whereby more serious offences are assigned a higher "weight" than less serious offences. For example, the clearing of homicides, robberies or break and enters would represent a greater contribution to the overall weighted clearance rate value than the clearing of minor theft, mischief or disturbing the peace.
The following data contains information for cities with an RCMP municipal contract. Cities with a municipal service are provided and compared later in this section.
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Table 29 – RCMP Municipal Benchmarking Comparators (Averages from 2014-2018)12,13
Grande Wood Airdrie Richmond Strathcona Kelowna Red Deer Thompson Prairie Buffalo
Police Service RCMP RCMP RCMP RCMP RCMP RCMP RCMP RCMP
Population 63,819 206,595 76,599 132,833 65,677 103,453 70,953 13,993
Total Police Officers 52 210 87 177 88 161 149 36
Police Officers per 81 102 114 133 135 156 210 256 100,000 Population
Crime Severity Index 58.06 80.77 58.4 110.74 169.95 190.62 92.68 289.95
Incident-Based Crime 3,725 13,648 4,256 14,679 11,359 18,460 7,136 5,981 Statistics Incidents/100,000 5,837 6,606 5,556 11,051 17,295 17,844 10,057 42,743 Population
Incident per Officer 71.09 64.87 48.92 82.93 128.5 114.37 47.96 167.06
Weighted Clearance 29.99 21.30 36.47 33.65 34.56 21.55 48.55 58.37 Rate
Figure 11 graphs officers per 100,000 against crime severity index with the cities positioned on the X axis in order of crime severity index. The resulting slopes indicate that the number of officers per capita and CSI are at least somewhat positively correlated, as CSI increases, officers per capita also increases – although not at a one-to-one ratio. Airdrie has a much lower officer per capita rate to correspond with a much lower CSI.
Figure 10 – RCMP Police Communities’ Officer per 100,000 Population and Crime Severity Index Compared to Airdrie
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0 Airdrie Strathcona Richmond Wood Buffalo Kelowna Grande Prairie Red Deer Thompson
Officers / 100,000 Crime Severity Index - Linear (Officers / 100,000 ) Linear (Crime Severity Index)
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Figure 12 graphs the average number of incidents annually against officers per 100,000. Again, there is correlation with the number of incidents and the number of officers deployed to respond to or manage those incidents. Cities are placed along the X axis in increasing order of average annual incidents per 100,000 population. Airdrie has the second lowest number of annual average incidents and the lowest number of officers per capita.
Figure 11 – Criminal Incidents per 100,000 and Officers per 100,000 for RCMP Policed Communities Compared to the City of Airdrie
45,000 300 40,000 250 35,000 30,000 200 25,000 150 20,000 15,000 ··········································· 100 10,000 50 5,000 0 0 Strathcona Airdrie Richmond Wood Buffalo Kelowna Grande Red Deer Thompson Prairie
Officers / 100,000 Incidents / 100,000 - Linear (Officers / 100,000 ) Linear (Incidents / 100,000)
Figure 13 graphs the clearance rate for cities against the number of officers per 100,000. Cities are listed on the X axis in order of increasing clearance rate. There appears to be a minor positive correlation with clearance rate and the number of officers per capita. Airdrie’s clearance rate is quite typical with a relatively low number of officers per capita.
Figure 12 – Officers per 100,000 Population and Weighted Clearance Rates for RCMP Policed Communities Compared to the City of Airdrie
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0 Richmond Red Deer Airdrie Kelowna Grande Prairie Strathcona Wood Buffalo Thompson
Officers / 100,000 Weighted Clearance Rate - Linear (Officers / 100,000 ) Linear (Weighted Clearance Rate)
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The following data and graphs compare Airdrie’s statistics against cities that utilize a municipal police service.
Table 30 – Municipal Benchmarking Comparators (Averages from 2014-2018) 13
Medicine Thunder Airdrie Calgary Lethbridge Taber Camrose Brandon Sarnia Brantford Delta Hat Bay
Police RCMP Muni Muni Muni Muni Muni Muni Muni Muni Muni Muni Service
Population 63,819 1,277,367 98,688 64,781 8,644 19,090 48,743 74,099 101,282 117,502 107,423
Total Police 52 2,126 168 110 14 28 81 109 171 226 164 -Officers Police Officers per 81 167 170 170 164 149 166 147 169 193 152 100,000 Population
Crime Severity 58.06 78.64 126.26 84.02 79.3 90.15 101.31 82.85 87.64 89.33 54.75 Index
Incident- Based Crime 3,725 71,138 11,752 5,300 739 1,723 5,029 5,436 7,230 7,800 5,639 Statistics
Incident/ 100,000 5,879 5,569 11,908 8,181 8,549 9,026 10,317 7,336 7,138 6,638 5,249 Population
Incident per 71.09 33.46 70.12 48.01 52.07 60.66 62.08 49.87 42.18 34.48 34.47 Officer
Weighted Clearance 29.99 27.75 50.12 52.80 60.27 57.49 50.98 46.162 40.68 48.08 24.01 Rate
Figure 14 places the cities on the X axis in ascending order of CSI and compares their relative officers per capita. Like the RCMP benchmark cities, CSI and officers per population are positively correlated using these benchmarks. Again, Airdrie, in this case has a significantly lower CSI than most, and even fewer officers per population in relative terms. In general, municipal services have more officers per population than RCMP policed municipalities. This is most often contributed to the RCMP employing a regional model to many of their specialty services, both policing (ERT, Incident Command etc.) and professional (IT, finance etc.) compared to municipal services that provide services independently.
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Figure 13 – Municipal Police Services’ Officer per 100,000 Population and Crime Severity Compared to Airdrie
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180 160 140
120 100
80 60 40
20 0 Delta Airdrie Calgary Taber Sarnia Medicine Brantford Thunder Camrose Brandon Lethbridge Hat Bay
Officers / 100,000 Crime Severity Index - Linear (Officers / 100,000 ) Linear (Crime Severity Index)
Figure 15 graphs incidents per 100,000 against the relative number of officers. There is positive correlation here as well. Airdrie sticks out in that it has relative few officers based on the number of incidents compared to municipal police comparators.
Figure 14 – Criminal Incidents per 100,000 and Officers per 100,000 for Municipal Police Services Compared to the City of Airdrie
12,000 200 180 10,000 160 140 8,000 120 6,000 100 80 4,000 60 40 2,000 20 0 0 Delta Calgary Airdrie Thunder Brantford Sarnia Medicine Taber Camrose Brandon Lethbridge Bay Hat
Officers / 100,000 Incidents / 100,000 Linear (Officers / 100,000) Linear (Incidents / 100,000) -
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Like the RCMP policed municipalities, there is also a positive correlation between the number of officers per capita and clearance rates. Airdrie has a relatively lower number of officers for its respective clearance rate compared to municipal policed service comparators.
Figure 15 – Officers per 100,000 and Weighted Clearance Rates for Municipal Police Services Compared to the City of Airdrie
200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Delta Calgary Airdrie Brantford Sarnia Thunder Lethbridge Brandon Medicine Camrose Taber Bay Hat
Officers / 100,000 Population Weighted Clearance Rate - 5.1.4.3 Sharing of RCMP Resources
One the concerns identified during stakeholder interviews was the sharing of resources between Airdrie municipal and rural RCMP calls for service. There are far fewer RCMP officer dedicated to the rural areas within the integrated detachment than there are City officers. There are concerns that with the fewer number of rural officers and the relatively large geography they need to cover, that there are instances where City officers are assisting rural officers to meet their demand.
Although not a perfect analysis, this report takes publicly available data into consideration to provide an order of magnitude comparison. Available crime-based statistics for Airdrie Municipal RCMP and Airdrie Rural RCMP from Statistics Canada provides the number of incidents annually for both the City of Airdrie and surrounding areas. Annually, on average, 74% of total incidents are within the City of Airdrie and 26% of the incidents occur within the surrounding areas. The proportion of officers responding to these calls are somewhat proportionate based on the average number of incidents. As at February 10, 2020 there are 49 RCMP Municipal Officers, 12 RCMP Rural Officers, and two (2) shared resources (Inspector and Staff Sergeant). The RCMP officers assigned municipally comprise 80% of total officers and the RCMP officers assigned rurally comprise 20% of total officers – compared to the incident split of 74/26. Of note, the CSI in rural areas surrounding Airdrie is significantly higher than in the City. Although this is not a perfect correlation, higher CSI’s are often correlated with higher workload per call.
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Table 31 – Number of Incidents for Rural and Municipal Airdrie RCMP
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Average Municipal Incidents 3,503 4,356 --3,648 3,557 3,561 -3,725 Rural Incidents 918 1,469 1,583 1,451 1,303 1,345 Total 4,421 5,825 5,231 5,008 4,864 5,070 % Municipal of Total 79% 75% 70% 71% 73% 74% % Rural of Total 21% 25% 30% 29% 27% 26% Municipal CSI 55.80 69.10 57.82 53.40 54.17 58.06 Rural CSI 107.56 163.37 204.84 188.99 174.05 167.76
Therefore, it is possible that the rural officers in the Airdrie rural detachment have a slightly higher workload than their City counterparts based on this data alone.
Airdrie RCMP have provided their own analysis on the subject using more detailed and proprietary information. The resulting report acknowledges that the file load for rural officers is much higher than the file load for Municipal officers (413 vs 196). To create operational efficiencies, rural officers operate within the municipal watch system – but only respond to rural calls and vice versa. The RCMP acknowledged that the Watch Clerks, which are 100% funded by the City, support rural RCMP members; however, noted that this is offset by adding 2 officers to the Community Liaison Team which are Municipal resources. The RCMP’s workload analysis demonstrated similar results as in the analysis related to Table 25 above. Although the benefits of working more collaboratively were noted, the report also acknowledges that tensions remain, particularly with some of the support resources provided by the City. However, the report concludes that although working collaboratively requires more management, it is ultimately most efficient and effective. It also concludes that although the rural workload is higher than the municipal, that the rural areas are not receiving the same level of service as the City.
Interjurisdictional policing is not a unique challenge to Airdrie. The interface between jurisdictions provide challenges for policing. Those from rural areas come into urban ones and commit crimes and vice versa. Statistics are also beginning to show that crime is becoming more and more “well-travelled” and that crimes are more and more often committed by those from out of jurisdiction. Typically, these are handled the best they can be with municipal police agencies such as Calgary working with the RCMP to manage these files collaboratively. Although each police service is funded through different mechanisms, these collaborative efforts are typically done without the exchange of funds and are generally perceived to equal out over the long run – or at least have differences that are immaterial. The one advantage that Airdrie has with an integrated RCMP detachment, is that the same policing agency is managing these files. If Airdrie were employing a municipal police agency, it would have the added burden of having to liaise with the RCMP to manage the fluidity of these files.
5.1.4.4 Police Officers and Civilian Staff
Airdrie has a relatively low number of officers and civilians per population compared to other cities in Canada even for cities with a similar population. Officer and civilian staff numbers were compared to the cities with municipal police services only, as civilian staff numbers for the RCMP are often not public information. Civilian staff in RCMP municipal detachments often being municipal employees and not employed by the RCMP. Although Airdrie has the lowest number of police officer and civilian staff, the ratio of civilian staff to total service staff was similar to Calgary
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and Lethbridge. Most of the municipal services have a ratio of approximately 30% civilian staff to sworn officers, and Airdrie’s ratio was 26%. These proportions are aligned with Canada-wide statistics.
The Civilianization of Police in Canada report indicates that the average proportion of civilian members to sworn officers is 28% across Canada and 25% in Alberta in 2011. 14 The civilianization of policing in Canada has been increasing since that time. Furthermore, the RCMP is a somewhat regionalized police service and as such, there are efficiencies they employ. Many of their civilian employee-centric services are centralized allowing for less front- line civilian staff within detachments (i.e. human resources, finance, procurement, communications etc.). This differs from municipal police services that need these resources internally and increases the number of civilian staff in proportion to sworn officers. This is evident in the below table comparing Airdrie to municipalities with their own municipal police service.
Table 32 – Average Police and Civilian Employees for Municipal Police Services Compared to Airdrie (Averages from 2014-2018)
Medicine Thunder Airdrie Sarnia Camrose Delta Taber Calgary Brandon Brantford Lethbridge Hat Bay
Population 63,819 74,099 19,090 107,423 8,644 1,277,367 48,743 101,282 64,781 98,688 117,502
Total Police 52 109 28 164 14 2,126 81 171 110 168 226 -Officers Total Civilian and Other 18 49 18 74 9 752 40 88 36 60 100 Personnel
Total Police per 100,000 81 147 147 153 162 166 166 169 170 170 192 Population
Total Civilian per 100,000 28 66 94 69 104 59 82 87 56 61 85 Population
Civilians/ Total Police 26% 31% 39% 31% 39% 26% 33% 34% 25% 26% 31% Service Staff
5.1.5 Service Analysis Summary
Overall, the service provided by the RCMP for the City of Airdrie is reported as positive and citizens are generally pleased with the current protective services in the City of Airdrie. Airdrie’s number of officers per population, civilians per population, CSI, and number of incidents “fit” against their benchmarked counterparts – particularly those policed by the RCMP. Airdrie has the lowest number of officer per capita but also has the lowest CSI and the second lowest volume of annual incidents. Airdrie has a relatively high clearance rate for the number of officer per capita it deploys. Airdrie “fits” statistically within municipal police agencies as well; however, discrepancies include the number of officers per population and civilian ratio. These are typically attributed to the structure of these organizations, where every service is housed internally, compared to the RCMP’s relatively regionalized structure.
Overall, crime and related policing activities is increasing in proportion to population growth (population at 5% and crime and police activities at 6%) while the overall per capita volume and severity of crime is decreasing. RCMP resources have been increasing at higher rates than crime and population (authorized strength increasing at 12% annually while the number of working members has averaged an 11% increase annually).
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5.2 Governance
It has been widely acknowledged that the changing environment within which Canadian policing occurs is outpacing most policing agencies’ ability to adapt and respond. Communities in Alberta, like every other province, are facing ever-increasing public and political demands and that combined with continually emerging fiscal restraints poses enduring challenges for police services.
Due to operating in a dynamic landscape, police services are required to constantly innovate on traditional knowledge and practices in order to develop new ways of delivering policing services. The public expects the organization that delivers policing services to their community be adaptable and responsive to this changing landscape, including evolving expectations and demands of governments, and that what they do aligns to the needs of all the stakeholders. Civilian participation in this transformation through oversight bodies represents a growing acceptance for direct civilian involvement in the oversight of police.
Police governance entities are responsible for meeting current needs, but also for planning for the future. They have a role in deciding what the future should look like, with input from the community. To achieve optimum outcomes, police governance must be structured properly, well trained, diverse in experiences and perspectives and possess an unwavering commitment to serve the community.
Effective oversight of the police is the way that the public and police remain partners in the preservation of public safety and ensures police legitimacy in the eyes of the community. Whatever the model, the community must have a voice and respect those that perform the policing function. The governance and accountability that civilian oversight creates work in tandem.
Police governance mechanisms oversee how policing is provided in their local community. They contribute to their community’s safety and well-being by working with the citizenry and organizations to ensure their community receives the appropriate policing it needs.
Police boards essentially have three main focuses; performing a buffer role between the police and politicians, being an advocate for the community by giving them voice and providing strategic direction and setting and managing performance metrics. Police boards are often caught between and feel pressure from competing political interests and priorities. The quality of governance is very much contingent upon how the board can negotiate the various challenges within the context in which it operates. The goal of developing a sound model for governing police boards is to provide structure and operations that would minimize the potential for political interference while holding the police service accountable.
Effective police boards possess a solid understanding of what governance means and how to apply it in practice. Collaborative and amicable relationships with the Chief of Police or Commanding Officer is crucial. It is also critical for police boards to be objective and unrelenting in demanding to know how operations meet the values set in place to guide the direction of the organization. This means police boards should focus on questions of policy, strategic value and managing risk rather than those concerning day to day operations or ongoing investigations.
5.2.1 Strengths
The Municipal Policing Advisory Board’s role is to:
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• Make recommendations to Council and City administration on all policy matters relating to the maintenance of law and order within the City of Airdrie regarding the RCMP and Airdrie Municipal Enforcement (AME) • Provide community feedback to the RCMP, AME and City administration on policing, strategies and activities • In consultation with the RCMP, AME and City administration, provide input with the development of respective yearly plans of priorities and strategies for municipal policing • Carry out any further duties and powers as Council may from time to time assign by resolution
Although this board should likely be seen as a strength of the system, it is often perceived to have relatively little ability to truly influence or directly affect the actions of the RCMP. There are distinct mechanisms in the MPSA though, that provide the City the leverage to provide the necessary input. Article 6 of the MPSA (Management of the Municipal Police Service) includes that the CEO may set the objectives, priorities and goals for the service received. Article 7 goes on to state that the OIC of the detachment acts under the direction of the CEO. This is an area of the agreements that is often underleveraged. The agreements do not state that a contract partner’s priorities need to align with RCMP National priorities (e.g., terrorism, organized crime, etc.). Most often, municipalities utilize relationship-based mechanisms for managing the MPSA. When relationships are good, the system works well, less so when relationships are not as good. Process-based working relationships that utilize structure and the articles of the MPSA take out the relationship element and tend to provide more stability regarding of the Officer in Charge of the day.
It also needs to be noted that RCMP officers are not employees of the City. The RCMP are a contractor carrying out services on behalf of the City. As such, the RCMP typically bears the liability linked to their actions. The RCMP has a robust and fulsome infrastructure and processes in place to deal with challenges such as officer misconduct, internal investigations etc. The City of Airdrie, to the greater degree, is outside of these processes and actions. This is by no means an absolution of the City; however, these issues are typically handled by the RCMP.
5.2.2 Weaknesses
There were several governance-related challenges mentioned in stakeholder interactions. Common governance themes indicated that communication and transparency with the RCMP were perceived to be lacking.
It is widely believed that the City should have much more influence regarding how and when money is spent because the City is paying 90% of RCMP operational costs and 100% of the costs to support RCMP members. There is also a common push-pull regarding the RCMP’s stance that operational issues are not to be decided by their contract partners and the City pushing back that many of the spending issues they are concerned with are not “operational”. This is a common challenge and is not isolated to Airdrie and not isolated to RCMP relationships as many municipal boards or governance structures have similar challenges with their executives at times.
There is an overwhelming perception that the RCMP’s priorities come directly from Ottawa (or Edmonton) and there is little accountability to the city and citizens of Airdrie. If the City has concerns, it is believed that these concerns are deprioritized and that major decisions are made without consultation with the City. There are no independent oversight boards or mechanisms for the RCMP, and stakeholders of the City feels that the RCMP reporting structure rules the day – making Ottawa the ultimate accountability and not the Municipal Advisory
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Board. There is a strong belief that the Municipal Advisory Board should be creating the strategy and metrics for the RCMP and be able to hold the RCMP accountable for their service delivery against those metrics.
It is also perceived that there is a lack of flexibility and input into oversight for the RCMP. There seems to be concerns over the lack of proactive policing and that there may not be enough resources to attend to the needs of the city – i.e. neighbourhood patrols. The RCMP have not been able to meet the approved authorized strength and it is perceived that this is influencing the RCMP’s ability to perform these activities. The City feels they have had very limited ability to influence these decisions.
The City does not have the ability to influence RCMP policy. The RCMP is a separate organization that develops its own policies that broadly meet its needs across multiple jurisdictions. This has been a challenge for Airdrie at times, when the City believes that it has been misaligned with the RCMP as it relates to policy. For example, the recent COVID pandemic has had emergency services across the world developing specific policies and service delivery standards to meet the need of their communities and manage their individual risk. Airdrie’s policies and the RCMP policies regarding some of these services were not aligned. They have become more aligned with significant consultation and discussion; however, the City acknowledges that it hasn’t been easy and postulates that policies could be more aligned and more specific to Airdrie’s needs under one governance model.
The City has also found the RCMP to be uninterested in initiatives the City finds progressive such as outsourcing vehicle accident reporting. Some municipal services, such as Lethbridge, have outsourced this service – although they provide physical space within police headquarters for a contractor to do so. These contractors provide excellent service while freeing up sworn officers to focus other activities.
Most Airdrie citizens (74%) are not familiar with the policing governance structure – the Municipal Advisory Board. Survey respondents were provided a website link to become better informed about the governance structure and were then asked whether they agreed that the Municipal Advisory Board allows for the provision of input, flexibility, autonomy, consultation and internal review process. Of the survey respondents, 36% indicated that they took a neutral stance and 33% indicated that they do not know.
Because of the separate reporting and governance structures of the RCMP and ME officers, there is public confusion at times regarding Protective Services – who is responsible for what service (i.e. RCMP versus Municipal Enforcement).
5.2.3 Analysis
The table below provides a comparison of the governance capacity the City currently has within the current municipal policing contract with the RCMP, and the governance capacity they would have if the City had their own municipal police service. The City gains additional oversight, flexibility and control with a municipal police service, but adds a layer of risk by incurring liability for the police service and its actions as well.
Table 33 – Governance Structure for the RCMP versus Municipal Police Service15
Municipal RCMP Municipal Police Service Oversight Body Municipal Advisory Board Police Commission Assist in Setting Priorities for Policing in The X X Community
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Communicate the Public and Municipality Council’s X X Interests Assist with Developing Annual Plans X X Appoint Police Chief X Select Officers in Charge X Establish Policies Providing for Efficient and Effective X Policing Issue Instructions, to the Chief of Police in Respect to X These Policies (As Necessary) Allocate Funds Provided by Council X Appoint Complaint Directors X Assist in Resolving Public Complaints X Risk and Liability X
5.2.4 Governance Analysis Summary
One of the key principles of governance is that governance bodies have the responsibility to set the strategic direction and create performance metrics to hold executives to performance outcomes. The Municipal Advisory Board is not a true governance structure, but a contract management mechanism. The City’s ability to influence performance outcomes and strategic direction is guided by its contract not governance best-practices. The City has outsourced its policing requirement to a contractor. As such, its contract with said contractor outlines the mechanisms it can leverage to express its needs or concerns as a client. The client has the option of continuing to convey its wants and needs to its contractor or decide that this contractor is not right for them.
It is not uncommon for municipalities to express frustration regarding an inability to influence the RCMP as a contractor, regardless of the MPSA articles stating they can do so. Municipalities have the right to ask for the services they require and have those services executed appropriately. However, the internal governance structure of the RCMP also exists and it must maintain consistent and appropriate governance principles to operate its own organization efficiently and effectively. The accountability is to maintain the articles of the contract between the two parties. Similarly, the City does not have any influence over the governance of its other contractor organizations but does have leverage within a contract that says ‘we need you to do what we’ve hired you to do at an appropriate level of quality, and if you don’t there are consequences’.
It is clear from the findings from the preceding “Service” section of this report, that the RCMP are meeting the service requirements of their contract – to the greater degree. There is a distinct sentiment though, that it can be difficult at times to work with the RCMP. That as a contractor, the RCMP can be somewhat unyielding and perceived to be not as troubled by the concerns of its clients than a typical contractor would be in a similar relationship. The current sentiment from the City is that there have not been consequences to what the City believes are inadequacies to that arrangement.
Therefore, although the RCMP as a contractor is likely meeting the service requirements as outlined in its police services agreement, the current leverage mechanisms to influence the relationship and related arrangements are not meeting some of the City’s needs.
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5.3 Financial
The following section analyses the current state as it related to financial parameters. Anecdotal strengths and challenges are outlined, and then financial statistics are analysed to provide evidence to or against those perceptions.
5.3.1 Strengths
A major strength of the current policing model is that the City pays for 90% of policing services it receives from the RCMP and the Federal government covers the other 10%.
In addition, it is generally acknowledged that the RCMP provide their policing service at a lower cost than municipalities can provide on their own. Much of this is attributed to the RCMP’s ability to spread major infrastructure costs across many people and geographies. The RCMP typically also utilize a regionalized model for some specialized services and overhead making them cost effective in that regard as well.
5.3.2 Challenges
Stakeholders from the City indicated that financial planning and budgeting for policing services for the city is difficult to accurately accomplish. The RCMP submit business cases to Council during the budget discussion separate from the Annual Performance Plan (APP) and these do not always align, nor do they integrate with other initiatives in the city. For example, the RCMP recently indicated in a business case that they needed to develop a domestic violence strategy even though they sit on the domestic violence coalition with the city. Additionally, they stated that they need to develop a youth engagement strategy even though the City of Airdrie Community Services Department has one. These two examples illuminate examples of the RCMP providing a separate police response and not integrating into existing strategies and efforts. There is confusion as to why this is the case and what barriers are disabling the integration between the City and RCMP.
In the on-line public survey, respondents were asked two finance-based questions to determine their views on the current financial investment in policing and if there should be additional financial outlay if the city could gain more flexibility and control. Approximately 36% of respondents thought that the city was paying too little and 16% indicated too much. On the other hand, just under half of respondents (47%) were either unsure or thought the City spends the appropriate amount on policing services. Respondents were also given the opportunity to share additional comments regarding the current financial investment in Protective Services, and the following common themes were found:
• The City of Airdrie requires 24/7 policing • There is redundancy and fiscal waste between Sheriffs, RCMP and MEs • There is a need for more police resources • There is a need for more value for money • More investment needs to be directed at community growth, prevention, communication, awareness, and cohesion between Protective Services groups
Respondents also shared their perceptions surrounding whether the city should pay more for a police model that provides more governance control and flexibility in service provision, which was one area stakeholders and citizens
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thought was a challenge in the current model. Just under half of respondents (46%) agreed that they should pay more for additional governance control and flexibility, with only 17% disagreeing and 36% taking a neutral stance.
The final weakness of the current financial paradigm is that equipment and capital expenses are paid for by the City (90%) and owned by the RCMP. There are some exceptions within “accommodations” and other areas but generally, it’s a 90/10 split. For example, the City of Airdrie has paid for 90% of the RCMP cruiser cars used to police Airdrie. Those cars are the property of the RCMP. This has been a major concern for Airdrie. However, based upon the policing agreements, the City is entitled to the assets at Fair Market Value (FMV) within a right of first refusal. The assets are inventoried and if the City chooses not to purchase them, Canada (RCMP) pays out the remaining cost share at FMV. It is correct however, that the property of the City while in use of the RCMP and do not sit on the City’s “balance sheet”.
5.3.3 Analysis
Airdrie Protective Services costs have increased annually for the last five years by an average of 13% with the largest annual increase of 25% between fiscal 2014/15 and fiscal 2015/16. RCMP expenditures had the highest average percent increase of 16% which has a significant impact because the RCMP portion also comprises 67% of total average annual expenditures. Civilian and Municipal Enforcement annual costs have experienced an annual average increase of 13% and 4% respectively.
Table 34 – Annual Percent Change in Total Expenditures and Revenue by Cost Area
Avg. % 14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 Change Expenditures RCMP Final Costs at Contract Partner $5,286,781 $6,805,715 $8,064,351 $9,374,704 $9,307,929 Share % Change 29% 18% 16% -1% 16%
Total Civilian Staff Costs $1,306,283 $1,519,288 $1,657,900 $1,829,967 $2,134,493
% Change 16% 9% 10% 17% 13%
Total ME Employee Costs $1,577,185 $1,850,576 $1,734,940 $1,750,128 $1,814,528
% Change 17% -6% 1% 4% 4% Total Building and Maintenance Costs $181,825 $264,987 $267,524 $263,640 $275,554 % Change 46% 1% -1% 5% 12% Total Expenditures $8,352,074 $10,440,566 $11,724,715 $13,218,439 $13,532,504 % Change 25% 12% 13% 2% 13% Revenue $2,572,623 $3,113,797 $3,698,136 $3,692,097 $3,678,295 % Change 21% 19% 0% 0% 10% Net $5,779,451 $7,326,769 $8,026,579 $9,526,342 $9,854,209 % Change 27% 10% 19% 3% 15%
A portion of cost increases for Airdrie’s Protective Services is driven by growth. As the city continues to grow at a rapid pace, these departments and organizations have had to grow commensurately. Cost per capita analysis
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demonstrates cost increases have outpaced population increases only slightly. The cost per capita of Protective Services in general has grown at an average annual rate of approximately 7% or from $146.81 to $192.42 from fiscal 2014/15 to 2018/19. RCMP per capita costs grew at an average of 10% annually during that period while Civilian City employees that support the RCMP grew at 9% annually and ME costs were steady over that same period.
Table 35 – Airdrie Protective Services Cost/Capita (2014/15-2018/19)
Annual Avg. % 14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 Average Change Airdrie Population17 56,892 60,567 64,003 67,306 70,327 63,819 5% Protective Services Expenditures/Capita $146.81 $172.38 $183.19 $196.39 $192.42 $178.24 7% RCMP Expenditures/Capita $92.93 $112.37 $126.00 $139.28 $132.35 $120.59 10% Civilian Staff Expenditures/Capita $22.96 $25.08 $25.90 $27.19 $30.35 $26.30 9% Municipal Enforcement Expenditures/Capita $27.72 $30.55 $27.11 $26.00 $25.80 $27.44 -1% Building & Maintenance Cost/Capita $3.20 $4.38 $4.18 $3.92 $3.92 $3.92 7%
5.3.3.1 RCMP Cost Drivers
For the purpose of this analysis the RCMP expenditures have been broken out into 33 cost items. The primary mechanism for identifying which are drivers of cost change within this analysis is the change in spending over time. However, there are a significant number of line items that demonstrate substantial year-over-year change as a percentage. These can mostly be attributed to the intermittence and immateriality. For example, a small cost item that has $100,000 of spending in one year and $150,000 in the next has an annual increase in spending of $50,000 or 50%, while an increase of $50,000 in a $1 million cost item is only 5%.
Therefore, expenditures have been graphed against an axis that demonstrates the variability in spending (annual average increase or decrease in spending) against annual average spend. Items that fall close to either axis are deemed to not be of concern – either because annual spend is not material or average annual change in spending is not material. Those that stand outside of the axis are deemed to be material drivers of cost change.
In the example figure below, Cost Element Group A is significant with regard to annual average spending but not as a change in annual spending. Cost Element Group C has demonstrated a significant increase in annual spending as a percentage; however, the average annual spend is low and thus likely not material. Cost Element Group B; however, has annual spending and annual change that are likely noteworthy when combined.
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Figure 16 – Variability in Spending Versus Total Annual Spend Example Annual Average Spend
Cost Cost Cost Element Ele ment Element A B C
Average Annual Change in Spending The resulting graph highlights the cost items that are material in the change in average annual spending, total annual spending or both. Four cost items appear to comprise a significant annual cost and were increasing on an annual average basis during the analysis period. These four items account for 95% of the total RCMP costs:
• Member Pay (57%) • Division Administration (14%) • Employee Benefit Plans (14%) • Overtime (11%)
The remaining cost items account for 5% of the overall costs and no individual item is more than 2% of the total annual expenditures. Therefore, the following analysis focuses on the four most significant cost drivers.
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Figure 17 – Variability in Average Spending Versus Total Average Annual Spend
$5,000,000 Member Pay $4,000,000 $4,397,240
$3,000,000 Benefits $1,093,765 $2,000,000 Div Admin $1,096,297 OT & OR $828,183
$1,000,000 Average Annual Expenditure $- -120% -100% -80% -60% -40% -20% 0% 20% 40% 60%
-$1,000,000 Average Annual Change in Expenditure
Member Pay
Authorized strength increased by 12% and Member utilization increased by 11% over the period of study. The pay expense/ working Member increased at an average of 1% over the analysis period. Therefore, cost increases in this cost element are attributed to a growing number of officers, not pay per officer.
Table 36 – Member Pay per Working Member
Annual Avg. % 14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 Average Change Member Pay $3,232,997 $3,946,258 $4,489,313 $5,250,563 $5,067,069 $4,397,240 12% Authorized Strength 41 49 54 63 65 54.4 12% Sworn Officer Utilization 36.02 44.60 52.30 54.16 53.81 48.18 11% Member Pay/ Working Member $89,756 $88,481 $85,838 $96,945 $94,166 $91,271 1%
Division Administration
The annual cost of Division Administration increased by 14% over the analysis period. Division Administration is charged to the contract partner on a per member basis. As Utilization increased this cost also increased; however, cost per member also increased over the analysis period by 6%.
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Table 37 – Division Administration Costs per Working Member
Annual Avg. % 14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 Average Change Division Administration $715,264 $939,232 $1,136,147 $1,349,982 $1,340,862 $1,096,297 14% Sworn Officer Utilization 36.02 44.60 52.30 54.16 53.81 48.18 11% Division Administration / Working Member $19,857 $21,059 $21,724 $24,926 $24,918 $22,755 6%
Employee Benefits Plan
The annual cost of employee benefits increased by 14% over the analysis period. Like Member Pay, employee benefits per working member has only increased by 1% over the analysis period as the utilization of sworn officers has increase by 11% over that same time.
Table 38 – Employee Benefits per Working Member
Annual Avg. % 14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 Average Change Employee Benefit Plans $763,818 $1,033,958 $1,179,026 $1,351,503 $1,140,519 $1,093,765 14% Sworn Officer Utilization 36.02 44.60 52.30 54.16 53.81 48.18 11% Employee Benefit Plan/ Working Member $21,205 $23,183 $22,544 $24,954 $21,195 $22,703 1%
Overtime
Airdrie RCMP overtime expenditures account for 11% of the total annual costs. Overtime has increased from $430,000 in fiscal 2014/15 to $1.3 million in 2018/19, a 206% overall increase and an average 33% increase annually over the last five years. The overtime costs/ working Member have increased from $11,900 per member in 2014/15 to over $24,000 in 2018/19. The police activity over that same period (taking both Crime Statistics and other Police Activities into account) have only increased 6% based on an average annual increase over the same period. It is important to note that roughly half of all overtime is associated with revenue-generating programs as well as coverage for low utilization rates.
The following figures demonstrates the negative correlation between utilization and overtime. As the percent of utilization decreases, overtime increases. Although this is correlated and not causational without further analysis, the basic assumption is that vacancies in the last two fiscal years have been replaced with overtime.
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Figure 18 – Overtime Cost/Working Member and % Utilization of Authorized Strength
$30,000 100%
$25,000 95%
$20,000 90%
$15,000
85% $10,000
80% $5,000
$0 75% 14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19
% Utilization/Auth Strength OT/RM - Figure 19 – Annual Change in Overtime and Utilization
$350,000 10 9 $300,000 8
$250,000 7 6 $200,000 5 4 $150,000 3 $100,000 2 1 $50,000 0 $0 -1 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 2018-2019
Change in Overtime Change in Utilization
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5.3.3.2 Civilian Staff Expenditures
Other Overtime 3% 2%
Estimated Support Staff Costs 17%
Salaries 78%
Figure 20 – Average Percentage of Civilian Staff Expenditures Salaries, Wages and Benefits
Salaries, wages and benefits are the most significant portion of the civilian expenditures (78%). The annual cost has increased year over year at an average of 15% and the number of FTEs have almost doubled over the analysis period from 12 FTEs in 2014/15 to 20 FTEs in 2018/19.
Table 39 – Civilian Salaries, Wages and Benefits per Working Member
Annual Avg. % 14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 Average Change Salaries, Wages and Benefits $988,031 $1,141,334 $1,313,680 $1,438,749 $1,743,565 $1,325,072 15% Civilian FTEs 12 13.5 14.5 17 20 15 14% Salaries, Wages and Benefits/ Working Member $82,336 $84,543 $90,599 $84,632 $87,178 $85,858 2%
Overtime
Civilian overtime is 2% of the average civilian expenditures with an annual average cost of $34,646. Civilian overtime has increased at an average of 32% although the overtime cost per FTE has only increased by 15%. It was highest in 2017/18 at approximately $2,900 per FTE.
Table 40 – Civilian Overtime per Working Member
Annual Avg. % 14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 Average Change Overtime $18,856 $28,382 $27,472 $49,895 $48,627 $34,646 32% Civilian FTEs 12 13.5 14.5 17 20 15 14% Overtime/ Working Member $1,571.33 $2,102.37 $1,894.62 $2,935.00 $2,431.35 $2,187 15%
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5.3.3.3 Municipal Enforcement Expenditures
Other Training 9% 1% Overtime 2%
Salaries, Wages and Benefits 89%
Figure 21 – Average Percentage of Municipal Enforcement Expenditures Salaries, Wages and Benefits
Salaries, wages and benefits are the most significant portion of the Municipal Enforcement expenditures (89%). The annual cost has increased year over year at an average of 3% and the number of FTEs have remained steady over the analysis period from 14.5 FTEs in 2014/15 to 15 FTEs in 2018/19.
Table 41 – Municipal Enforcement Salaries, Wages and Benefits per Working Member
Annual Avg. % 14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 Average Change Salaries, Wages and Benefits $1,447,675 $1,659,857 $1,524,640 $1,534,371 $1,585,642 $1,550,437 3%
Municipal Enforcement FTEs 14.5 14.5 14.5 16.5 15.5 15 2% Salaries, Wages and Benefits/ $99,840 $114,473 $105,148 $92,992 $102,300 $102,950 1% Working Member
Overtime
Municipal Enforcement overtime is 2% of the average Municipal Enforcement expenditures with an annual average cost of $31,650. Civilian overtime has increased at an average of 8% and the overtime cost per FTE has increased by 5%. It was highest in 2017/18 at approximately $2,400 per FTE.
Table 42 – Municipal Enforcement Overtime per Working Member
Annual Avg. % 14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 Average Change Overtime $26,146 $33,112 $27,625 $39,991 $31,378 $31,650 8% Municipal Enforcement FTEs 14.5 14.5 14.5 16.5 15.5 15 2% Overtime/ Working Member $1,803 $2,284 $1,905 $2,424 $2,024 $2,088 5%
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5.3.4 Benchmarking
5.3.4.1 Municipal Service Cost Comparisons
There were several benchmarking communities with detailed financial information available for their municipal police services in terms of expenditures and revenues. The table below shows the expenditures per capita for Airdrie (including RCMP, Civilian Staff and Municipal Enforcement) compared to a variety of communities – some of similar size. Airdrie’s expenditures are significantly less than those of the benchmarked communities with their own municipal police service.
Table 43 – Municipal Police Service Expenditures Per capita Comparison (2015-2018)
2015 2016 2017 2018 Average Airdrie $172.38 $183.19 $196.39 $192.42 $186.10 % Change - 6% 7% -2% 4% Brandon $304.57 $304.74 $303.76 $306.05 $304.78 % Change - 0% 0% 1% 0% Sarnia $319.39 $326.16 $331.50 $338.21 $328.82 % Change - 2% 2% 2% 2% Medicine Hat $388.04 $390.83 $379.69 $390.14 $387.18 % Change - 1% -3% 3% 0% Brantford $298.74 $302.21 $299.90 $301.10 $300.49 % Change - 1% -1% 0% 0% Thunder Bay $368.67 $384.63 $382.66 $400.59 $384.14 % Change - 4% -1% 5% 3% Delta $342.27 $356.93 $366.87 $381.18 $361.81 % Change - 4% 3% 4% 4% Calgary $374.91 $382.49 $384.33 $391.04 $383.19 % Change - 2% 0% 2% 1%
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Figure 22 – Average Expenditure per Capita for Policing Services in Various Cities (2015-2018)
$450
$400
$350
$300
$250
$200
$150
$100
$50
$0 Airdrie Brantford Brandon Sarnia Delta Calgary Thunder Bay Medicine Hat
Airdrie’s revenue per capita is well aligned with other cities of similar size, having the third largest average revenue per capita of the benchmarked communities that had revenue information available. Only Calgary and Medicine Hat have higher revenue per capita than Airdrie, although Medicine Hat’s revenue per capita in the last two (2) years under review were in alignment with the other cities of a similar size ($55.14 in 2017 and $56.89 in 2018).
Table 44 – Municipal Police Service Revenue Per capita Comparison (2015-2018)
2015 2016 2017 2018 Average Airdrie $42.48 $48.65 $54.95 $52.50 $49.64 % Change - 15% 13% -4% 8% Brandon $48.10 $50.56 $50.46 $45.17 $48.57 % Change - 5% 0% -10% -2% Sarnia $31.39 $31.15 $32.15 $31.64 $31.58 % Change - -1% 3% -2% 0% Medicine Hat $119.44 $119.53 $55.14 $56.89 $87.75 % Change - 0% -54% 3% -17% Brantford $24.41 $26.80 $31.17 $31.56 $28.49 % Change - 10% 16% 1% 9% Thunder Bay $50.33 $47.76 $38.89 $39.71 $44.17 % Change - -5% -19% 2% -7% Calgary $81.65 $86.10 $84.00 $85.31 $84.26 % Change - 5% -2% 2% 2%
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Figure 23 – Average Revenue per Capita for Policing Services in Various Cities (2015-2018)
$100 $90 $80 $70 $60 $50 $40 $30 $20 $10 $0 Brantford Sarnia Thunder Bay Brandon Airdrie Calgary Medicine Hat
5.3.4.2 Municipal RCMP Cost Comparison
Although there was minimal publicly available information regarding RCMP expenditures and revenues for benchmarked communities, a publicly available report created for the City of Pitt Meadows for an RCMP Services and Structure Review shared some cost per capita information for a number of communities that were being provided municipal policing services from the RCMP.16 The table below shows the populations for these communities and cost per capita for 2017 compared to the population and cost per capita for policing services for the City of Airdrie at the same time. Again, the City of Airdrie’s cost per capita are significantly lower than that of the other communities policed by the RCMP.
The City of Red Deer also completed a recent review of police services and it was determined that Red Deer’s 2018 cost per capita for policing services was $380 and Grande Prairie’s cost per capita was $429.17 Both communities have significantly more incidents per officer and higher crime severity index than the other RCMP policed community comparators.
Table 45 – RCMP Policed Communities Benchmarking
2017 Population Cost per Capita Incidents per Officer Crime Severity Index Airdrie 67,306 $142 65 53.40 Coquitlam 150,198 $215 51 57.89 Langley Township 128,524 $232 66 84.13 White Rock 19,187 $284 61 69.48 Maple Ridge 88,032 $252 64 76.02 Port Coquitlam 62,201 $246 64 67.19 Pitt Meadows 19,580 $235 58 60.58 Grande Prairie* 67,085 $429 113 172.68 Red Deer* 104,493 $380 87 169.76
*Grande Prairie and Red Deer’s cost per capita information was found in a different, more recent report, and thusly, the information reported for them is for FY2018
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Figure 24 – Cost per Capita for Communities Policed by the RCMP
$450
$400
$350
$300
$250
$200
$150
$100
$50
$0 Airdrie Coquitlam Langley Pitt Meadows Port Maple Ridge White Rock Red Deer Grande Township Coquitlam Prairie
The Red Deer Policing Review Report also indicated that switching the policing model from RCMP to municipal would cost taxpayers up to $13.5 million and take approximately two (2) to four (4) years. The major costs involved in the $13.5 million were attributed with the need to purchase a fleet of municipal police vehicles and equipment, setting up a municipal dispatch system, and losing some of the economies of scale in current RCMP purchasing. 18
The estimated cost for policing in 2023 was $50 million for a municipal police service and $43.7 million for the RCMP. The report indicated a large differential between both models is the loss of the 10 percent subsidy. 19
5.3.4.3 OPP Policing Model Cost Comparison
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are the provincial police service for the province of Ontario. The OPP updated their billing model in 2015 to incorporate a “Base Service Cost” and “Calls for Service (CFS) Cost”. This costing model for municipal policing services differs from the RCMP’s approach for costing for municipal police services. The OPP charge municipalities a base service cost based on the number of properties in the municipality. Additional costs that are not included in the aforementioned costing model are costs associated with prisoner transport, accommodations and cleaning, court security, and overtime. All other costs are included within the calculations including all costs associated with civilian employees.
The below calculations compare the City of Airdrie’s current costs with the RCMP to the OPP’s model. The two models are similar in their ability to spread overhead costs across relatively large populations and the regionalization of many of their specialized services. This cost comparison is provided for contextual purposes only.
The 2020 estimated base service cost per property has been determined to be $183.23 for the OPP in 2020. The total properties for the City of Airdrie (including residential, commercial and industrial properties) for 2020 is estimated to be 29,469. Therefore, the base service cost for the City of Airdrie would be estimated at $5,339,605 for 2020.
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Table 46 – City of Airdrie Properties 2014-2020
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual Estimate* Residential 21,530 22,652 24,097 25,027 25,924 26,571 27,756 Commercial 645 703 747 802 838 926 967 Industrial 514 576 598 642 678 714 746 Total 22,689 23,931 25,442 26,471 27,440 28,211 29,469 % Change in Properties ------5% 6% 4% 4% 3% Average % Change 4%
*2020 Estimate = 2019 Actual x Average % Change + 2019 Actual
The CFS calculations for the OPP are calculated as a proportionate share of municipal costs related to policing services for the entire province of Ontario. The proportionate share of costs is based on average weighted time standards that are applied to historical CFS in specific billing workgroups as demonstrated in the below table.20 Through the OPP’s model, the estimated 2020 CFS costs for the City of Airdrie are $7,002,702 using occurrence data as a proxy for calls for service.
Table 47 – Estimated 2020 CFS costs for the City of Airdrie21
2020 % of Total 2020 Three Total Average Provincial Estimated Year Weighted Calls for Service Billing Time Weighted Calls for 2016 2017 2018 Average Time Workgroups Standard Time Service Cost D x Provincial A B C = A x B D Total $ Drug Possession 122 129 117 123 6.3 773 0.0475% $77,331 Drugs 94 76 56 75 - 39.2 2,953 0.1815% $295,502 Operational 1,764 1,886 1,886 1,845 - 3.6 6,643 0.4083% $664,759 Operational 2 1,236 1,200 855 1,097 - 1.3 1,426 0.0877% $142,704 Other Criminal Code Violations 917 1,211 1,419 1,182 - 7.8 9,222 0.5668% $922,830 Property Crime Violations 2,774 2,584 2,673 2,677 - 6.7 17,936 1.1024% $1,794,776 Statutes & Acts 627 564 600 597 - 3.4 2,030 0.1248% $203,114 Traffic 1,687 1,887 2,104 1,893 - 3.5 6,624 0.4072% $662,871 Violent Criminal Code 1,367 1,486 1,342 1,398 16.0 22,373 1.3751% $2,238,813 - Estimated Calls for Service Total 10,588 11,023 11,052 10,888 69,981 4.3013% $7,002,702 - Provincial Totals ------1,626,979 100.0000% $162,805,510 Additional costs include prisoner transport, accommodations and cleaning, overtime and court security. Prisoner transport and accommodations and cleaning costs are calculated as a cost per property, similar to the base service cost. For 2020, the OPP cost per property is estimated at $1.99 for prisoner transport and $4.78 for accommodations and cleaning.22 Therefore, the estimated 2020 prisoner transport costs are $58,644 and accommodations and cleaning costs are $140,864.
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Court security costs are calculated for the OPP as direct costs associated with court security for the municipalities using the policing services of the OPP. These were not included for the City of Airdrie as these are costs already covered by the city and not included in current RCMP costs.
The OPP calculates overtime at 5.3% of officer salaries and benefits. The total number of officers that the OPP would expect to be needed in Airdrie is unknown, therefore overtime costs for the purposes of this hypothetical estimate have been calculated at 5.3% of the current RCMP officer salaries. The 2019 personnel pay for members was $5,067,068.56 and therefore the 5.3% that would account for overtime costs in the OPP model is $268,555.
Therefore, taking all these costs into account, the OPP would charge the City of Airdrie an estimated $12,870,370 based on the assumptions provided herein. For comparison purposes, comparative costs for Airdrie in fiscal 2018/19 were approximately $11.7 million. These costs would be very comparable to the result of the OPP model when extrapolated to 2020.
Table 48 – Summary Table for Estimated 2020 OPP Policing Model Costs for the City of Airdrie
Cost Equation Calculation Amount Estimated 2020 CFS Cost - - $7,002,702 Base Service Cost per Property x # of Estimated 2020 Base Service Cost $183.23 x 29,469 $5,399,605 Properties Prisoner Transport Cost per Property x # Estimated 2020 Prisoner Transport Cost $1.99 x 29,469 $58,644 of Properties Estimated 2020 Accommodations and Accommodations and Cleaning Cost per $4.78 x 29,469 $140,864 Cleaning Cost Property x # of Properties Estimated 2020 Overtime Cost Current Member Pay x 5.3% $5,067,069 x 5.3% $268,555 Total 2020 Estimated OPP Costs for City of - - $12,870,370 Airdrie *Note: All civilian employees / support staff are included in OPP’s estimated costs
5.3.5 Current State Financial Analysis Summary
Protective Services costs have been increasing in real terms for Airdrie. The RCMP costs have grown the most at an average of 16% annually. Per capita costs have also increased the most for the RCMP at 6% annually. Costs are increasing at a higher rate than revenues.
Table 49 – Average Annual Cost Increase and Cost Increase per Capita for Airdrie
RCMP Civilian ME Building Total Revenue Net Average Annual Cost Increase 16% 13% 4% 12% 13% 10% 15% Average Annual Cost Increase per Capita 6% 3% 0% 5% 7% 4% 9% The most impactful cost drivers have been Member Pay, Divisional Administration and Overtime. Member Pay has been driven by an increase in the number of working members, Div Admin by a combination of increased members and cost per member. Overtime has increased in a negative correlation with the percentage utilization is of Authorized Strength.
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Airdrie has the lowest cost per capita for policing than any of the other benchmark cities. Airdrie has the lowest cost per capita for policing than any of the benchmark cities. Although it is common for municipal services to cost more than RCMP services, Airdrie also had the lowest cost per capita of the small number of comparable RCMP police municipalities that were available. Although it is common for municipal services to cost more than RCMP services, Airdrie also had the lowest cost per capita of the small sample of comparable RCMP police municipalities that were available. Airdrie has a lower CSI than most of those cities but also has a higher occurrence per officer.
5.4 Future Considerations
In the on-line public survey, the townhall, and stakeholder interviews, respondents were asked a variety of questions regarding suggestions for future police service delivery within the City, including considerations surrounding the four models under review for this project. Survey respondents thought that both the status quo policing model with the RCMP (40%) or switching to a municipal police service (31%) would be the best options. Of the 8% of respondents who indicated that a different model should be considered, a common theme that came up was either a mix of some of the models or a provincial policing service.
Survey respondents were also asked to consider their policing model of choice and were given the opportunity to expand on why they feel these chosen models would be the best model for the city moving forward. The below grid indicates the common themes discussed for each model:
Status Quo (RCMP) Municipal Police Service • Living in community so vested interest • RCMP have gotten complacent • Strong work ethic • Police within the community • Highly trained • Greater autonomy, control and flexibility • Less costly option • City too large for RCMP • More respected than local police would be • Greater community focus / investment in • Continuity the community • Works currently, doesn’t need changing • Better understanding of local issues
Regional Model Service Contract with CPS • Allows for better communication and • Proximity resource use • Strong resources • Collaboration with surrounding • Easy transition communities • Better coverage • Perceived faster response times • Cost effective option • Common concerns / issues can be dealt with effectively
Stakeholder interviews allowed participants to consider the future needs of the city with regards to Protective Services. Common themes included needing more space in the building for a growing team (as population continues to grow), a need for more proactive outreach and community presence, and a shift to online crime reporting to aid in efficiency. Stakeholders also felt that office hours need to expand to be open more on weekends to provide community members who work during the week to come in when needed and/or additional services
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added online so that citizens have some ability to do complete some activities from the comfort of their homes as opposed to having to come into the detachment.
Looking to the future, in the townhall, citizens indicated that they would like to see better lines of communication with the RCMP so that they have a better understanding of what the police are doing in the city. Additionally, citizens want to see more opportunities for community members to be involved with the RCMP such as participating on patrols and other community policing initiatives. Some citizens indicated that a municipal police service would be the answer as there would be more oversight and control and there is a feeling that with the national police service the city is losing control of their priorities. This is in alignment with the on-line public survey results.
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6 MODEL OPTIONS
As per the RFP, there were several model types of interest to the City of Airdrie. These included a municipal police service, an alternative contract service provider e.g. Calgary Police Service, a regional police service and some type of hybrid policing service. Through discussion and further investigation, two of these options have not been fully modelled. Alternatively, the municipal model and a hybrid version of a municipal model with support services provided by a contractor have been fully modelled, analysed and compared to the status quo.
6.1 Regional Police Service
The notion of a regional police service comprised of communities in proximity to Calgary has existed for some time. The Calgary Metropolitan Region Board consists of representatives from ten municipalities mandated to develop a long-term plan for managed, sustainable growth in the Calgary region.23 This group endeavours to provide a more consistent and efficient approach by working together with similar communities to address similar issues. It has embarked on several initiatives and studies including water use and conservation, wastewater servicing, regional recreation development and other issues deemed to be in common with the participating partners. Recently, policing was mentioned as a possible area of regionalization.
The regionalization of police services in Alberta is governed under Section 24 of the Police Act. It states, in general, that the councils of two or more municipalities may enter into an agreement to be policed by one regional police service. These municipalities must establish and maintain a corresponding police commission. These activities require ministerial approval.
Although there are likely efficiencies to be gained by pooling collective resources and creating a larger police service to serve the nine municipalities involved (one of the ten is Calgary), the concept may have challenges that make it both a long way out in its implementation and make it challenging from a governance perspective. The following issues have been discussed with subject matter experts and stakeholders:
• There are significant variations in the municipalities that a regional service would have to deal with. For example, Chestermere is connected to Calgary, for all intents and purposes, while Airdrie and Cochrane have distinct rural gaps between themselves and Calgary. Even more so, Wheatland County has areas significantly more rural that other municipalities, including regions that are sparsely populated. It creates a very large and diverse geography to police that may not make a regional model any more effective and efficient than what exists today. • There are several municipalities involved, each with its own distinct desires and goals. Creating a regionalized police service would require “starting from scratch” to the greater degree. This is likely to have two effects: o It would take a significant amount of effort and time to come to some agreement on how a regionalized police service would work and get funded. Then it would require the time to receive ministerial approval. o The complexity of the required governance structure may be significant enough that Airdrie finds itself in a governance mechanism that is perceived to be less effective than the one they have today.
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As such, there is the distinct opinion that such a regional model would be years and years away if at all viable. In addition, it is commonly viewed as a potential governance quagmire. Therefore, this model was not pursued for further analysis.
6.2 Alternative Contract Service Provider
Another option was to have Airdrie look elsewhere for a contractor to provide police service – namely the Calgary Police Service (CPS). This review investigates the feasibility, at a high level, of the Calgary Police Service providing policing services for the City of Airdrie. This analysis is subjected to the same framework of Service, Governance and Cost.
The Calgary Police Service graciously provided access to the Managers or Officers in Charge of their major departments including:
• Infrastructure • Executive Governance • Finance • Information Technology and Management • Strategic Services • Human Capital and training • Uniform Operations • Investigative Services
Information from these discussions and follow ups have been utilized in the following sections. The question framed to each department was “are there any known impediments to the CPS providing service to Airdrie?”. “What might be required additionally and how might it work?”
The following paragraphs and subsections provide insights on the feasibility of the CPS providing policing services to Airdrie as well as description of the services it provides.
6.2.1 Service Delivery
Several service indicators were used to determine the services that the CPS would or could provide to the City of Airdrie should the City move to a different policing model. These indicators included:
• Service Offerings • Staffing Levels • Service Standards • Calls for Service
6.2.1.1 Service Offerings24
The CPS’ strategic priorities from 2019 to 2022 are their people, crime and safety, and organizational performance. In terms of services the City of Calgary has a broad spectrum of service delivery under the following divisions:
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• General Council • Infrastructure Services Division • Executive Office • Criminal Investigations Division • Finance Division • Criminal Operations Technical Support • Strategic Services Division Division • Psychological Services Division • Patrol Operations Division • Ethics & Accountability Division • Real Time Operations Division / Strategic Intelligence Group • Information Management & Technology Division • Integrated Partnership Division • Employee Services Division The CPS currently has eight (8) patrol districts within the city and the assumption is that Airdrie could be the ninth (9th). The City of Airdrie would have access to specialized services offered by the CPS including, but not limited to, a canine unit, air support unit, tactical unit, school resource officers, crime prevention team, domestic conflict unit, and traffic response unit. The full list of CPS’ divisions, units and teams can be found in Appendix H.
Member and Public Satisfaction with CPS
Annually, the CPS conducts a member and public satisfaction survey to measure member and public thoughts with regards to the policing model and provide suggestions or areas of focus moving forward.
CPS Member Satisfaction
The results of the 2019 CPS Employee Survey indicate that overall, the majority of CPS members that participated in the survey are either very satisfied (19%) or satisfied (61%) with the service that they provide to the citizens of Calgary. Over 75% of respondents indicated that they the service delivery provided to the citizens of Calgary is excellent (19%) or moderate (57%). Of respondents, 21% indicated high employee engagement and 41% indicated moderate employee engagement. Of respondents, 73% either strongly agree (40%) or moderately agree (33%) that they are proud to say they work for CPS and 73% are satisfied with their jobs (36% strongly agree, 37% moderately agree). Though review of the employee survey it is fairly evident that members are highly satisfied.25
Public Satisfaction
In the most recent 2018 Calgary Police Commission Citizen Survey, 95% of participants indicated that Calgary is a safe place to live and 99% of participants indicated that policing is one of the top four most important services provided by the city. In terms of financial investment, 96% of respondents indicated that they feel the city should at least maintain the same amount of investment in policing or increase it.26
6.2.1.2 Staffing Levels
In 2018, Calgary Police Service had 2,006 police officers serving a population of 1.3 million people. The population of Calgary has been growing at an average rate of 1% annually since 2014. During that time, the number of police officers serving that population grew steadily at 2% until a decrease of 9% in 2018. During the same period, the number of civilian staff increased by 23% demonstrating an alteration in roles and focus for the CPS with more work being shifted to civilian staff so that the sworn officers could focus on the service needs of the citizens of Calgary.
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In comparison, the City of Airdrie’s population has been growing annually by an average rate of 5% since 2014 and the number of police officers have been growing at an average rate of 15% annually over the same time. Calgary has averaged 167 officers per 100,000 while Airdrie has average 81 during this period. Calgary’s 2018 crime severity index was 89.51 whereas Airdrie’s was 54.17. The number of incident-based crime statistics per 100,000 population was 55 for Airdrie and 40 for Calgary.
Note: Information in this section is based upon Statistics Canada data and Airdrie’s officer numbers differ slightly from the actual data used in other sections. This police officer information would include both active operational employees and those on special leaves (i.e. parental and medical leaves etc.). This section utilizes Statistics Canada information to be able to use a common source between Calgary and Airdrie for comparison purposes.
Table 50 – Calgary Population Growth and Number of Police Officers and CPS Civilian Staff from 2014-2018 (Statistics Canada)
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Average Population 1,242,290 1,261,596 1,278,982 1,292,133 1,311,833 1,277,367 % Change - 2% 1% 1% 2% 1% Police Officers 2,090 2,147 2,172 2,215 2,006 2,126 % Change - 3% 1% 2% -9% -1% Civilian Staff 714 681 714 740 911 752 % Change - -5% 5% 4% 23% 7%
Table 51 – City of Airdrie Population Growth and Number of Police Officers from 2014-2018 (Statistics Canada)
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Average Population 56,892 60,567 64,003 67,306 70,327 63,819 % Change - 6% 6% 5% 4% 5% Police Officers 39 44 57 55 67 52 % Change - 13% 30% -4% 22% 15%
Table 52 – Calgary Police Officer and Civilian Staff versus Population Information from 2014-2018
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Average Population ------1,242,290 1,261,596 1,278,982 1,292,133 1,311,833 1,277,367 Police Officers 2,090 2,147 2,172 2,215 2,006 2,126 Officers per 100,000 Population 168 170 170 171 153 167 Civilian Staff 714 681 714 740 911 752 Civilians per 100,000 Population 57 54 56 57 69 59
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Table 53 – City of Airdrie Police Officer and Civilian Staff versus Population Information from 2014-2018
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Average Population ------56,892 60,567 64,003 67,306 70,327 63,819 Police Officers 39 44 57 55 67 52 Officers per 100,000 Population 69 73 89 82 95 81 Civilian Staff 12 13.5 14.5 17.74 20.74 16 Civilians per 100,000 Population 21 22 23 26 29 25
Table 54 – Calgary and City of Airdrie Crime Incidents per Population and Officer from 2014-2018
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 City of Airdrie Incident per 100,000 Population 6,157 7,192 5,700 5,285 5,063 Incident per Officer 90 89 64 60 55 City of Calgary Incident per 100,000 Population 4,393 5,431 5,669 5,841 6,451 Incident per Officer 27 33 35 36 40
Over the past five years, Calgary has had an average of 2% less police officers per population and 5% more civilian staff. Airdrie’s population has been increasing by an average of 5% annually since 2014; therefore, if the CPS were to police the City of Airdrie maintaining the proportion of police officers and civilian staff per population, there would be 111 police officers servicing Airdrie and 54 civilian staff.
Table 55 – Number of CPS Officers and Civilian Staff in Airdrie under CPS Policing Model at Current CPS Service Levels
2019 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Average Estimates % of CPS Officers to 0.17% 0.17% 0.17% 0.17% 0.15% 0.17% 0.15% Population % Change - 1% 0% 1% -11% -2.23% - % of CPS Civilian Staff to 0.06% 0.05% 0.06% 0.06% 0.07% 0.06% 0.07% Population % Change - -6% 3% 3% 21% 5.30% - Airdrie Population 56,892 60,567 64,003 67,306 70,327 63,819 74,157 % Change - 6% 6% 5% 4% 5.45% - CPS Officers for Airdrie 96 103 109 115 108 106 111 Civilian Staff for Airdrie 33 33 36 39 49 38 54
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Table 56 – Crime Incidents per CPS Officer for the City of Airdrie under CPS Policing Model at Current CPS Service Levels
2019 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Estimates
Police Officers 96 103 109 115 108 111 Incident-Based Crime Statistics 3,503 4,356 3,648 3,557 3,561 3,612 % Change - 24% -16% -2% 0% 1% Incident per Officer 36 42 33 31 33 33
This level of service is significantly higher than Airdrie’s current model. Although this level might be attractive from a service perspective, it would come at a significant cost. This topic is addressed in the Financial sub-section related to this model in section 6.2.3. An estimate is made of the cost of contracting the Calgary Police Service at officer per capita ratios that more closely resemble Airdrie’s current situation in section 6.2.3.
6.2.2 Governance
Section 22 of the Police Act addresses “Municipal Policing by another police service” and specifically allows for the council of a municipality to enter into an agreement with the council of another municipality for the provision of policing services – with Ministerial approval. It could not withdraw from this arrangement without Ministerial approval as well.
Calgary and Airdrie would be required to develop and decide how Airdrie would participate and/or provide input into the respective police commission. The governance body for the CPS is the Calgary Police Commission (CPC). The CPC’s mission statement is to “provide independent civilian oversight and governance of the Calgary Police Service to ensure a safe community.”27 The CPC is a statutory body legislated under the Alberta Police Act and is responsible to:28
• Allocate funds provided by City Council, done in consultation with the Chief of Police • Establish policies providing for efficient and effective policing • Issue instructions as necessary to the Chief regarding those policies • Ensure sufficient persons are employed by the Service to carry out the functions of the Service
There are provisions in the Police Act that allow for municipal policing by another police service. Again, subject to ministerial approval.
The Police Act requires a policing committee of no fewer than 3 and no more than 12 individuals. CPC currently has 11 members, 9 citizens and 2 city councillors – the structure of which is defined by a city by-law. This by-law would have to be amended if it was decided it was required to facilitate Airdrie participation.
There is not currently a definitive answer as to how Airdrie would or could participate in the governance of the CPS. Suggestions included having an Airdrie Citizen on the CPC or having an Airdrie Policing Committee that provides guidance to CPC or a combination of the two.
This would require both an acceptance of such a structure change by the Calgary municipal Council as well as formal changes to the by-law regarding the structure and composition of the CPC.
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It is noted that this arrangement may provide only a marginal governance improvement to Airdrie’s current situation. Airdrie would continue to be in a contractual relationship with a separate agency that provides its policing service. Participation in the CPC would afford true governance participation over and above the current contractual leverage that currently exists. However, it is noted that the risk remains that Airdrie’s ability to assert influence on either the governance or contractual elements may be limited.
6.2.3 Financial
Calgary’s current policing costs under the CPS are approximately $400 per capita – significantly higher than Airdrie’s current costs. CPS is a robust, full-service policing organization that operates and maintains all aspects of its requirements internally.
Table 57 – Airdrie Estimated Cost for the CPS as a Service Provider at Current CPS Cop/100,000 Pop
Actuals Estimated
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2020 CPS Actual Expenditures29 $444,246,000 $472,985,000 $489,202,000 $496,602,000 $512,977,000 Calgary Population 1,242,290 1,261,596 1,278,982 1,292,133 1,311,833 CPS AE/ Capita $357.60 $374.91 $382.49 $384.33 $391.04 $409.01^ Airdrie Population 56,892 60,567 64,003 67,306 70,327 76,782* Estimated Airdrie Total Cost $20,344,579 $22,707,174 $24,480,507 $25,867,715 $27,500,670 $31,404,872 ME Costs $1,577,185 $1,850,576 $1,734,940 $1,750,128 $1,814,528 $1,959,204 Revenue** ($2,141,786) ($2,538,940) ($3,105,279) ($3,099,240) ($3,085,438) ($3,085,438) Net $19,779,978 $22,018,810 $23,110,168 $24,518,603 $26,229,760 $30,278,638
^Average growth rate for CPS AE/Capita
*Used the same growth rate as 2017-2018 and projected for 2020
** Rental revenue has been removed
The most significant driver of this cost differential is the number of officers. Airdrie municipal RCMP averaged approximately 81 police officers per 100,000 population during the period of study and Calgary averaged 167– an average of just under half the number of officers per capita (49%).
The following table provides the results if Airdrie were to maintain its current officer per capita ratio and apply the current cost structure of CPS.
Table 58 – Airdrie Estimated Cost for the CPS as a Service Provider at Airdrie Cop/100,000 Pop
Actuals Estimated
2014 2020 2016 2017 2018 -2020 Actual CPS AE/ Capita $357.60 $374.91 ----$382.49 $384.33 $391.04 Airdrie/CPS police officers/100,000 pop - 43% 52% 48% 62% Adjusted CPS AE/ Capita $173.45 $181.84 $185.52 $186.41 $189.67 $198.38^ Airdrie Population 56,892 60,567 64,003 67,306 70,327 76,782*
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Actuals Estimated
2014 2020 2016 2017 2018 2020 Adjusted Estimated Total Cost $9,867,730 $11,013,659 $11,873,779 $12,546,616 $13,338,648 $15,232,303 ME Costs $1,577,185 $1,850,576 $1,734,940 $1,750,128 $1,814,528 $1,959,204 Revenue** ($2,141,786) ($2,538,940) ($3,105,279) ($3,099,240) ($3,085,438) ($3,085,438) Net $9,303,129 $10,325,295 $10,503,440 $11,197,504 $12,067,738 $14,105,779
^Average growth rate for CPS AE/Capita
*Used the same growth rate as 2017-2018 and projected for 2020
**Rental revenue has been removed
It is possible, and likely, that Airdrie would customize the service it receives and be more strategic regarding what services it wants more and less of – to the degree the CPS is able to accommodate. This will have cost implications. However, the previous table provides order of magnitude estimation for comparison purposes.
6.2.3.1 Alternative Service Provider Transition Costs
In discussions with the Calgary Police Service management some infrastructure transition costs were identified that would require an investment to enable Calgary to take on the service provider contract. These costs would be in addition to the normal operating costs which would be included in the cost per capital. These costs included:
• $500,000 for a tower for Airdrie to access Calgary’s radio system • $1 million if current fibre optic service does not meet CPS requirements
These items were brought forward to Airdrie’s Senior Leadership Team in discussions and it was believed this infrastructure already existed to enable the transition.
6.3 Municipal Policing Models
The following sub-sections describe two municipal policing model versions. The first is a full-service model that endeavours to provide a service that replaces what the RCMP are currently providing – to the degree that it can (it does not include air support services for example). The second model has become referred to as a “hybrid” model. It describes a municipal police service that is aligned with Airdrie’s typical calls for service, occurrence and incident data and is focused on general patrol and call for service response as well as community policing. The hybrid model utilizes a contractor, namely the CPS, for specialty support services including services such as Emergency Response Team, Air Support Services, Forensic Identification Services (lab), Major Crimes Support, etc. Both models incorporate the current ME team and civilian staff with the new police resources into a single team that work together and are managed by a joint leadership team that report to the Chief of Police.
6.3.1 Municipal Policing Model – Full Service
The following sub-sections provide a description of a municipal policing model that endeavours to provide a service under a single roof that replaces what the RCMP are currently providing. This includes the addition of a dedicated 24/7 dispatch team, forensic lab resources, dedicated specialized joint canine and tactical team, a dedicated investigative unit of detective-level police resources that focus on complex investigative files and proactive, non-
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call driven-investigative functions that allow frontline police officers to focus on call response and additional criminal analytical support. The full service model also includes additional civilian staff to support the police service with human resource needs (hiring, onboarding, management of leaves, management of training requirements), financial support, communications and community outreach, as well as additional civilian staff to support the administration and oversight function of the service such as supporting the police board, policy and service standard development and maintenance. The description uses the same framework as other sections of this report: Services, Governance and Financial.
6.3.1.1 Services
The “full service” municipal police model is similar to the current structure and service provision provided by the RCMP except the Municipal Enforcement Team has been integrated directly into the policing operations. The organizational structure is divided into three areas: Patrol Operations, Specialized Support Services and Corporate Services. Both policing and civilian resources were added to compensate for the resources the current model accesses through the provincial RCMP resources including additional investigative capacity, major event management and centralized organizational management (finance, HR, analytical capacity, etc.).
Patrol Operations
Frontline Policing
The major change made to the general patrol or frontline policing is the Municipal Enforcement team is integrated directly into the frontline policing teams. Both groups will be dispatched to calls for service through one common team of internal dispatchers.
Dispatch Team
A 24/7 dispatch team has been added in the full-service model and will require dedicated space ions and purchase of technology systems to support this work. The dispatch team would be responsible for dispatching police and ME officers as well as tracking their status while on the call and providing real-time database searches and other administrative support.
Specialized Support Services
Special Operations – Emergency Management, Canine and Tactical Team
Policing resources have been added in the full-service model to create a specialized unit to provide frontline policing support. This team would include officers with special training in areas such as tactical support and emergency management response as well as a canine team. Financial resources have also been included for support from Calgary Police Service in the event back-up on a larger scale was needed for emergency event management or air support – an in-house air support unit is not included in the full-service model.
Investigations Team
Dedicated investigation unit to similar to the current structure although the police resources would be at a detective level and would be specially trained and focus solely on investigative efforts. These resources would focus on homicide, sex crimes, drug and gang related crime, economic crimes, etc. Specially trained detectives within this unit would work within and be responsible for the Forensic Identification Team and crime analysis unit which would also be contained within this unit.
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Forensic Identification Team
In the full-service model, a forensic identification team has been added to support the frontline and investigative unit. The main function of these resources is to support the gathering of evidence including photographing evidence, collecting fingerprints and DNA evidence as well as the technical needs of extracting evidence from electronic devices.
This team will need a dedicated space that will require renovations to existing space as well as the purchase of specialized equipment and software.
Three forensic technicians/scientists have been added to meet the requirements of on call and provide enough resources to gather evidence in urgent situations of serious occurrences and in the event, evidence could be compromised due to the specific environment or situation.
Crime Analytics Team
This team will sit within the Investigations Team and will be overseen by a specialized Detective level resource. The team will consist of two dedicated crime analysts.
Community Policing Team
The Community Policing Team would provide similar service to the current service provision with the same number of resources although some changes were made to the types of resources. If the community identified additional service needs, the police service would have the flexibility to add or change the services as needed under the full- service municipal model.
It was determined that two (2) constable positions who would have been School Resource Officers, would be transitioned to Municipal Enforcement Officer Positions. The Alberta Peace Officer Program Office representative indicated the success Lacombe County was having with its School Resource Officers shifting to peace officers. The school district has been a big proponent of this transition and it also assists with lowering protective services costs.
Corporate Services – Organizational Support
Several additional resources would be required to support the overall organization in the areas of human resources, finance, communications, fleet and equipment management, IT, professional standards (including policies and procedures) and governance or police board support. Resources were not added for internal training purposes as it was assumed for a police service of this size training would be outsourced to external service providers with the specialized facilities and equipment necessary. Financial resources have been included on a per person basis in the annual operating costs to ensure the service would be able to maintain training standards.
The full-service model provides flexibility for the service to adjust services or change the focus and make-up of resources as needed. This initial sample model is largely based on the current services Airdrie is receiving and therefore similar resources to provide those services. If Airdrie decided to build its own police service, the service need would be evaluated and adjusted at that time and the specific resources to provide those services would be determined at that time.
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Figure 25 – City of Airdrie Municipal Policing Model High-Level Organizational Chart
Police Services Board
Police Chief
Deputy Police Chief Deputy Police Chief
Patrol Operations Operations Support Corporate Services
Canine / TAC / Community Patrol Team Traffic Team Investigations Unit Emergency Human Resources Policing Team Management Team
Dispatch Team Forensic Finance Identification Team
Records & Information Investigators Management
Administration Crime Analytics Support Team
Information Technology
6.3.1.2 Staffing Levels
Staffing levels for the full-service municipal model were estimated using a number on inputs including current staffing levels, other municipal service comparators, the specific crime statistics and needs of the Airdrie. The following sections summarize the number and type of resources in each of the units or teams.
LEADERSHIP AND OVERSIGHT
• Police Board (conversion of the current Municipal Advisory Board) • Police Chief • 2 Deputy Chiefs (compensation based on Inspector level salary) (current state has one inspector that is shared with Airdrie rural policing resources) o One Deputy will oversee the Patrol Operations o One Deputy will oversee the Support Services and Corporate Services
PATROL OPERATIONS
The Patrol Operations are overseen by a Staff Sergeant and include the frontline general patrol resources as well as the Dispatch Team.
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Patrol Teams (both police and ME officers)
No changes were made to the number of frontline police and Municipal Enforcement resources in comparison to the current state structure; however, the Municipal Enforcement team leader will report to the same Staff Sergeant as the Patrol Operations Supervisors and that their call responses will be coordinated.
Dispatch Team
• 2 Team Leaders • 14 Dispatchers – this will allow for teams of three with two floater positions for additional coverage and enough resources to ensure coverage of sick, training and vacation requirements of the team.
The addition of the new Dispatch Team will have some affect on the existing workload of the ME administrative and Watch Clerk positions as a portion of their work activities would be taken on by this new team. Therefore, four (4) Watch Clerk positions and two of the ME administrative positions were moved from their current teams and add to the Dispatch Team (the FTE numbers for those teams were adjusted accordingly in the organizational chart and table of FTEs).
OPERATIONS SUPPORT SERVICES
Community Policing Team
• 1 Sergeant • 2 Patrol Sergeants • 6 Constables • 2 Municipal Enforcement Officers (two SRO Constable positions were changed to ME positions)
Traffic Team
No changes were made to the number or resources dedicated to traffic services.
• 1 Patrol Sergeant • 2 Constables • Traffic administrative support
Investigations Team
• 1 Sergeant • 7 Detectives o Detectives will specialize through training to ensure the investigative team has the skills and training necessary to support the police service. o These resources will need to be trained to ensure the municipal service is able to independently investigate homicides, sex crimes, drug and gang related crime, economic crime, tech crime, etc. with the support of the Forensic Identification Team • 1 Exhibit Custodian • 1 Administrative support (currently GIS support)
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Crime Analytics Team (currently one crime analyst)
• 1 Detective Supervisor • 2 Crime Analysts • 1 Administrative Support (CRU support)
Forensic Identification Team (this unit does not currently exist)
• 1 Detective Supervisor • 3 Forensic Science Technicians
Canine, Emergency Response and Tactical Team (this unit does not currently exist)
• 1 Patrol Sergeant Supervisor • 5 Constables o Specially trained team with dedicated canine resource(s), tactical operations, emergency response and management, search and rescue, etc.
Organizational Support
Organizational Support is overseen by the Corporate Services Manager
Information and Records Management
• 1 File Reader • 1 CPIC support resource • 4 Watch Clerks • 1 Court Liaison support resource • 5 Front Desk support resources
Administrative Support
• 1 dedicated HR resource (determined based on discussions with City of Airdrie representatives and their current ratios of support staff) • 1 dedicated finance resource (determined based on discussions with City of Airdrie representatives and their current ratios of support staff) • 2 dedicated IT resources (determined based on discussions with City of Airdrie representatives and their current ratios of support staff) • 1 dedicated strategic communications resource • 1 building, equipment and fleet management position • 1 administrative support position (governance and policing standards, and ethics support, policy and procedure (SOPs))
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Table 59 – Airdrie Municipal Police Service Model Staffing Detail
Rank / Position Title Police Chief 1.0 - Deputy 2.0 - Staff Sergeant 2.0 0.5 Sergeant 6.0 0.5 Detective 11.0 0.5 Patrol Sergeant 8.0 0.5 Constable 45.0 2.3 Total Police 75.0 4.3 Municipal Enforcement Municipal Enforcement Office Supervisor 1.0 - Municipal Enforcement Officer 12.0 - Coordinator 1.0 - Municipal Enforcement Administrative Support 2.0 - Chief Licensing Officer 1.0 - Total Municipal Enforcement Positions 17.0 - Civilian Corporate Services Manager 1.0 - Admin Records & Info Management Team leader 1.0 - Dispatch Team Leader 2.0 - Dispatch 14.0 - Crime Analyst 2.0 - Forensic Science Technician 3.0 - GIS Support Clerk 1.0 - CRU Support Clerk 1.0 - Court Liaison 1.0 - Exhibit Custodian 1.0 - File Reader 1.0 - HR Support 1.0 - Finance Support 1.0 - IT Support 2.0 - Management Administrative Support 1.0 -
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Rank / Position Title Traffic Clerk 0.5 - CPIC 1.0 - Front Desk Rotational 5.0 - Communications 1.0 - Building and Fleet 1.0 - Watch Clerks 4.0 - Total Civilian Staff 45.5 1.4
Total FTE 137.5 5.7
Total vacancies for police resources in the municipal model were estimated based on the previous 5-year average of vacancies as a percentage of authorized strength (10%). Half of the total vacancies were estimated to be “hard” and have no associated costs. The other half of vacancies are considered “soft” (most likely parental or medical leaves) and incur carrying costs. Civilian staff had a historical average vacancy rate of 3% which was used as an estimate for civilian vacancies. The vacancies were not attributed to specific positions as historical data was not available by position and there were several new civilian positions were added so it was difficult to determine salary, benefit and overtime costs for these vacancies was removed from the totals.
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Legend Municipal Police Service Model – Full Service - Sworn Officer -D - Peace Officer - Civilian Police Chief (1)
Deputy Police Deputy Police Chief (1) (Insp.) Chief (1) (Insp.)
1------Patrol Operations Dispatch Team Support Operations I Corporate Services I Supervisor (1) Supervisor (1) Leader (2) ,, Manager (1) (S/Sgt.) (S/Sgt.) ,1 ,1 Team Leader, Patrol Platoon Patrol Platoon C Investigative Canine / TAC / ,, Community Policing Traffic Supervisor Emergency Mgmt Administration, Administrative Municipal Supervisor A (1) Supervisor (1) Dispatch A (3) Support Supervisor ,, Supervisor (1) (Sgt.) (1) (Patrol Sgt.) Supervisor (1) (Patrol Records, & Info Support Enforcement (1) (Sgt.) (Sgt.) (1) (Sgt.) Sgt.) ,, Management ,, Team Leader (1) ,1 Community Municipal Municipal (1 Patrol Sgt; 8 (1 Patrol Sgt; 8 Constable (2) ,, Chief Licensing Dispatch B (3) Policing Services Detective (11) Constable (5) HR Support (1) Enforcement Enforcement Cst.) Cst.) ,, Officer (1) (2) (Patrol Sgt) Coordinator (1) Admin Support (2) ,1 CPIC (1) ,1 Traffic Clerk (0.5) ,1 Municipal Patrol Platoon B Patrol Platoon D Dispatch C (3) Constable (6) Crime Analyst (2) ,1 Finance Support Enforcement (1) Supervisor (1) Supervisor (1) ,, Court Liaison (1) Officer (10) (Sgt.) (Sgt.) ,, Municipal ,, Forensic Dispatch D (3) Enforcement ,, Building and Fleet Technician (3) (1 Patrol Sgt; 8 (1 Patrol Sgt; 8 Officer (2) ,1 Support (1) Cst.) Cst.) ,,,1 File Reader (1) I.. ------,, 56 FTEs Dispatch Float (2) CRU Support (1) ,1 IT Support (2) ,, Front Desk (5) ,1 16 FTEs GIS Support (1) ,, Communications ,, Watch Clerks (4) Support (1) ,,,1 Exhibit Custodian ,, Management (1) Administrative ,1 Support (1) -' ~ --- 41.5 FTEs 21 FTEs
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6.3.1.2.1 Service Offerings 6.3.1.2.1.1 Municipal Police Services (Both Sworn and Civilian)
There were no changes made to the frontline services currently provided by the RCMP, they still include the following:
Patrol Operations Team • School Resources
• Perform the duties of peace officers • Police and Crisis Team (PACT) • Preserve peace, protect life and property and • Domestic Violence Action Team (DVAT) prevent crime and offences against the laws Investigations Unit of Canada and the province of Alberta • General Investigation Section • Execute warrants • Investigative Crime • Prevent by-laws offences • Drug Investigations Community Policing Team • Crime Prevention • Community Policing Traffic Team o Bike Patrol (with Municipal Enforcement Officers) • Municipal Traffic (Traffic Safety) • Victim Services Additional police and civilian resources were added to ensure the new municipal service can also provide the additional special services that the RCMP were able to provide on an as needed basis. There would not necessarily be teams of resources focused on each service or even one dedicated resource to each service, but there may be resources trained to provide that service as one aspect of their overall function. These special services include:
Patrol Operations Dispatch Team • Serious Crimes o • Dispatch Services Major Crimes Unit (including Historical Homicide) Special Operations – Emergency Management, • Electronic background research on targets, Canine and Tactical Team subjects of interest, and security checks on • Emergency Response Team (ERT)/Critical applicants and employees Incident Program (also some costs included • Behavioural Sciences for support from an external service • Gaming Investigations provider) • Interview Assistance o Critical Incident Team • Covert & Specialized Policing Services o Emergency Response • Commercial Crime o Special Tactical Operations • Analytics Team o Explosive Disposal Unit o Crime Reduction Analysis • Police Dog Service Corporate Services Investigations Unit • Information Management • Forensic Identification Team
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• Information Technology • Human Resource Management • Communications Systems o Hiring, onboarding, training • Informatics Operations Support coordination • Provincial Standards o Performance management support • Division Analysis • Strategic Communications • Governance Support • Fleet and Equipment Management In addition, services that are distinctly the jurisdiction of the RCMP or are presumed to out of scope for an Airdrie municipal police service were also removed. These include:
• Provincial EDU • Witness Protection • Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT)
6.3.1.2.1.2 Contracted Specialized Policing Services
The full-service municipal model was designed to internalize several of the special services that the current RCMP municipal service would not have directly at the detachment level but would access from centralized RCMP resources. There are a few of these specialized services that require a significant investment in equipment, resources or training yet are intermittent in need, for example, air services. A cost has been built into this municipal model to establish an agreement with a service provider such as Calgary to allow the new municipal service to access these very specialized services on an as needed basis. The hybrid model in Section 6.3.2 further analyzes the opportunity to expand the number of services that fall into this category. In this model it is assumed that the only services that will need to be contracted include:
• Air Services • Crisis Intervention • Search and Rescue • Emergency Response Team (ERT)/Critical Incident Program (there are internal ERT resources in this model so it was assumed only a very small percentage (1%) of occurrences would require additional support from CPS).
In addition, services that are distinctly the jurisdiction of the RCMP or are presumed to out of scope for an Airdrie municipal police service were also removed. These include:
• Provincial EDU • Witness Protection • Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT)
6.3.1.3 Governance
Section 23 of the Alberta Police Act defines the requirements for a municipal police service to have a policing committee. The committee shall consist of not less than 3 and not more than 12 members. If the committee has five or more members, 2 of them may be members of council or employees of the municipality. These members are not eligible to be voted as Chair or Vice-Chair. Terms are prescribed to be 3 years or between 2 and 3 years if
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fixed by bylaw. Members can be reappointed is reappointment does not result in more than 10 years consecutive service. Members of council terminate their role on the committee when their term on council terminates.
Subsection 14 of section 14 states that a policing committee shall:
• oversee the administration of the agreement made under section 22, • assist in selecting the officer in charge, • represent the interests of the council to the officer in charge, • in consultation with the officer in charge, develop a yearly plan of priorities and strategies for municipal policing, • issue instructions to the officer in charge respecting the implementation and operation of the yearly plan, • represent the interests and concerns of the public to the officer in charge, • assist the officer in charge in resolving complaints, and • appoint a Public Complaint Director.
The full-service municipal model requires the development of a committee that meets the aforementioned requirements. Estimates costs to do so have been included in the following section.
6.3.1.4 Financial 6.3.1.4.1 Transition Cost Estimate The transition from the current state RCMP service provider model to a full service municipal model would require significant effort and resources including but not limited to the investment in organizational infrastructure, hiring, recruitment, training, information technology investment for both hardware and software, leasehold improvement costs to update the space (specifically for the new Dispatch and Forensic Identification teams) as well as legal and professional fees to move the project to completion.
The following table provides transition costs which were estimated based on financial information from other policing services across Canada and related subject matter experts.
• Authorized strength was used as a volume determinant ensuring that even if there were hard vacancies there would be back-up equipment if required. • An officer to vehicle ratio of 3:1 was utilized. • Building improvements will be required for lab space and separation and updates to space for dispatch. It was identified that there are several thousand square feet in the current building that are likely underutilized. • It has been assumed that the second floor of the current building would also be available for use (assumed district RCMP offices would have to vacate this space). o Both Dispatch and the lab space were estimated to need 1,000 square feet. The dispatch building improvements require typical office space improvements. An improvement cost/ square foot of $100 was estimated. o Even a basic forensics lab would require specialized space and equipment and a higher cost per square foot was used.
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The transition phase of switching from a service provider model to a full-service municipal model will have significant costs associated with external expertise needed to support Airdrie through this period. An estimated cost of $1 million has been included to cover costs such as: legal, marketing, communications, organizational support, change management, recruitment, as well as travel and meeting costs. This does not include the time City resources will need to dedicate to completing this transition.
Table 60 – Municipal Service Model Transition Costs
Estimated Unit Number of Cost/Cost
Cost Units Driver Equipment and Uniforms
Uniform and equipment – non-commissioned $4,000 75 $300,000 Use of force equipment & initial training – uniform $3,000 75 $225,000 Non-firearms use of force equipment costs – 1 baton 26 & 1 set $200 113 $22,600 handcuffs C8a2 close quarter battle carbine per vehicle $2,200 25 $55,000 Patrol vehicle and fit-up $57,000 25 $1,425,000 Mobile radio package incl. initial installation $13,000 29* $377,000 Portable radio $1,000 87* $87,000 Decatur genesis ii select dual antenna radar moving radar $3,000 4 $12,000 Kustom falcon hr stationary handheld radar $1,500 4 $6,000 Dräger 6810 glc alcohol screening device $600 16 $9,600 Specialized Equipment** $5,000 75 $375,000 Police Training*** $5,000 75 $375,000 Civilian Training $2,000 46 $92,000 Total Equipment, Training and Uniforms $3,361,200 Building Improvements and IT Lab Building Improvements $250 1,000 $250,000 Dispatch Centre Building Improvements $100 1,000 $100,000 Toughbooks and installation $10,000 29* $290,000 IT Software $250,000 IT Systems (CAD) dispatch $10,000 4.0 $40,000 Radio System $100,000 Office Furniture and Equipment $2,500 25 $62,500 Total Building Improvements and IT $1,092,500 Other Switching Costs Other Switching Support Costs (legal, travel, consultants) $1,000,000 TOTAL $5,453,700
*ME resource numbers were included in the calculations for the number of units
**Equipment for added specialized services i.e. Investigative (lab and forensic), TAC, Canine, etc.
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***Training would include additional training for specialized services, $5,000 would be an average with some positions requiring more and others less
^Calculated based on increase in civilian staff and total police resources ranks Patrol Sergeant and up as it was assumed there is office furniture and equipment for current civilian and ME staff
The above transition costs assume the City would have to purchase all the vehicles and equipment brand new however, the City is entitled to the assets currently utilized by municipal RCMP officers at Fair Market Value (FMV) and would only have to pay out the government of Canada’s share on the assets. The City has already paid for 90% of the cost of these items and therefore would have to pay out the additional 10% of the FMV of these items to retain ownership of them. This would provide the City the opportunity to reduce its initial transition costs and plan for strategic replacement of the assets over time. If Airdrie chooses not to keep these assets, Canada is obligated to compensate Airdrie for 90% of the FMV.
The current book value of the RCMP municipal vehicles is approximately $341,000 – or 50% of original value (original acquisition value was $737,000 for 25 vehicles) therefore the cost to acquire the vehicles is estimated to be the 10% of their current value or $34,100. The purchase of all new equipment detailed in the table above (other than vehicles) is estimated at $1.1 million. It is assumed that the other equipment available to Airdrie is also currently valued at 50% of its purchase value, FMV would be approximately $550,000. Airdrie would require 10% of that, or $55,000, to retain ownership of those assets.
Table 61 – Municipal Service Model Transition Costs (retain RCMP cars and equipment)
Estimated Unit Number of Cost/Cost
Cost Units Driver Equipment and Uniforms
Uniform $1,000 75 $75,000 Patrol vehicle modifications $2,000 25 $50,000 Specialized Equipment $5,000 75 $375,000 FMV Vehicles (10%) Purchase from Government of Canada $34,100 Equipment FMV (10%) Purchase from Government of $55,000 Canada Mobile radio package incl. initial installation $13,000 4* $52,000 Portable radio $1,000 12* $12,000 Police Training $5,000 75 $375,000 Civilian Training $2,000 46 $92,000 Total Equipment, Training and Uniforms $1,120,100 Building Improvements and IT Lab Building Improvements $250 1,000 $250,000 Dispatch Centre Building Improvements $100 1,000 $100,000 Toughbooks and installation $10,000 29 $290,000 IT Software $250,000 IT Systems Dispatch set-ups $10,000 4.0 $40,000
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Estimated Unit Number of Cost/Cost
Cost Units Driver Radio System $100,000 Office Furniture and Equipment $2,500 25 $62,500 Total Building Improvements and IT $1,092,500 Switching Costs Other Switching Support Costs (legal, travel, consultants) $1,000,000 TOTAL $3,212,600
*New for ME resource integration
6.3.1.4.2 Ongoing Operating Costs The annual operating costs for the municipal service are estimated to be $20.1 million. The increase in costs are driven by several factors, the most significant of which is the increase in 8 police officers based on authorized strength (when vacancies are taken into consideration the increase in police FTEs from the most recent year is 14 police FTEs; however, the most recent year of RCMP data had a higher than typical volume of vacancies). All cost estimates were calculated using the total FTEs (excluding both soft and hard vacancies as the operating costs outside of salaries would be driven by working personnel).
Most of the cost items are calculated individually by resource type although there were a few cost items that the police and ME resources were combined to calculate the projected cost as these resources would be integrated and therefore contribute to costs as a joint group. These costs included equipment, supplies, legal and insurance costs. Telephone and IT costs were calculated using a standard average rate for all FTEs based on historical costs. The table below provides the total estimated annual cost and the sections that follow explain the methodology for their calculations.
Table 62 – Airdrie Municipal Model Police Service Estimated Annual Operating Costs
Estimated Annual FTE Cost Driver
Operating Cost Salaries and Benefits Police Pay $7,622,848 Police Police Overtime $1,391,759 Police Police Pension and Benefits $2,439,311 Police ME Salaries $1,467,972 ME ME Overtime $38,428 ME ME Benefits $325,386 ME Civilian Salaries $3,438,978 Civilian Civilian Overtime $121,330 Civilian Civilian Benefits $710,290 Civilian Total Salaries & Benefits $17,556,302
Other
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Estimated Annual FTE Cost Driver
Operating Cost Police Travel $33,750 Police Police Training $303,750 Police Police Training Travel $67,500 Police ME Training $17,000 ME ME Travel $8,500 ME Civilian Training $22,000 Civilian Civilian Travel $13,000 Civilian Telephone $64,000 Everyone Office Expenses $51,000 Everyone Recent Year + Avg. Corps of Commissionaires $130,000 Growth Professional Services $34,000 Police Vehicle Repairs $88,000 Police Equipment Repairs $34,000 Police Fuel $169,000 Police Vehicle Changeovers and Parts $68,000 Police Equipment and Supplies $380,000 Police + ME Prisoner Expenses $300 Average Sundry $6,800 Police Radio Communication Equipment $110,000 Police + ME Vehicles – Capital $169,000 Police Police Board $25,000 Hardware and Software $130,000 Everyone Legal Services $85,000 Police + ME Police + ME (based on Insurance Premiums $86,000 ME current costs) Police + ME (based on Incident/Loss $21,000 ME current costs) ME Professional Membership Fees $250 ME Total Other $2,116,850 Building Building Insurance $12,200 Average Building Incident/Loss $500 Average Natural Gas $7,900 Average Recent Year + Avg. Power $86,000 Growth Recent Year + Avg. Purchased Services $156,000 Growth Water/Sewer $2,100 Average
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Estimated Annual FTE Cost Driver
Operating Cost Building Maintenance $34,700 Average Total Building $299,400 Contracted Policing Support Services (External Service Provider)* $150,000 TOTAL $20,122,552 Revenue ($3,085,438)** Net $17,037,114
*Further detail provided in Table 65 – Contracted Specialized Policing Service Costs
** 2019 revenue was used as it hasn’t grown in the last two years, rental revenue has been removed
6.3.1.4.2.1 Salaries, Benefits and Overtime
Salaries for police officers were estimated using Calgary Police Service average salaries by rank as well as pension and benefit rates.30 Airdrie will have to compete with neighboring police services, including Calgary, to attract the human resources necessary to operate their service. Therefore, CPS salary data was utilized as the market rate comparator. CPS Deputy Chief salaries were used as a proxy for the Airdrie Chief of Police Salary and CPS Inspector salaries for Deputy Chief.
Table 63 – Municipal Police Service – Assumed – Average Annual Salary by Rank
Average Salary Police Chief $232,000 Deputy $167,000 Staff Sergeant $137,000 Sergeant $124,000 Detective $112,000 Patrol Sergeant $112,000 Constable $97,000
6.3.1.4.2.2 Operating Costs
In order to project annual operating costs for the full-service option a number of data sets were used in combination to determine reasonable estimates. There are several costs/FTE from the current structure that would not likely change between the current model and the full-service model, for example fuel and vehicle maintenance. Therefore, two methodologies were used depending on the line item. For cost items that had high variability year over year (i.e. vehicle purchases) a five-year average was used. The most recent year costs were used for cost items that were showing an increasing trend for the five years.
For cost items that are likely to change significantly in a new model such as those associated with equipment for more specialized resources (TAC, canine, Forensic Identification Team, etc.), cost comparators from other municipal police service models were used.
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ME vehicle and fuel costs are not currently cost-allocated by the City of Airdrie and because they were not included in the current state financial information, they are not included in the future state models. The cost to the City remains the same. Two ME officers have been added in the full-service model; however, this change will likely prove immaterial to fuel and vehicle costs.
Training and Travel
Training costs were determined based on comparable municipal services and are commensurate to the average annual costs of the current model. The municipal full-service model training costs assume external service providers would be utilized for all training needs.
Current travel costs are $1,875 per officer. This is significantly higher than municipal police service comparators. Therefore, travel costs are projected as lower in the municipal model.
Civilian and ME training and travel costs have been increased due to the increased specialized training needs of added Civilian staff as well as the potential for increased training for ME officers due to the integration with frontline policing resources.
Police officer travel was reduced to an amount comparable to other municipal police services.
Vehicles and Equipment
Costs associated with vehicles including fuel were calculated based on average historical costs per officer. Equipment and supply costs have been increased to better align with municipal police service comparators. The municipal service model is anticipated to have an increased need for specialized equipment. It is assumed that this will also increase the costs for equipment repairs.
Ongoing operating costs associated with radio communication equipment are based on historical costs although an initial investment would likely be required upon transition to allow for integration of the police and ME resources. This has been included in the transition costs. Both police and ME FTEs were used to calculate these ongoing costs.
Sundry expenses include costs associated with covert operations. As the new municipal service will now provide this service internally the costs have been increased to better align with municipal police service comparator costs.
Office Expenses, Telephone and Information Technology
There are several organizational costs that have been calculated using total service staff. These include office expenses, telephone and IT (including both hardware, software, licensing costs etc.)
Other Operating Costs
Corps of Commissionaires and prisoner expenses costs are based on historical costs.
Historical professional service costs include Investigative Services and Independent Police Overtime costs which are now included in police salary costs within resources that have been added to provide these functions. Some costs for these services would likely also be captured in the Contracted Specialized Policing Service costs of the full- service municipal model therefore costs have been significantly reduced from the current state, but some resources remain for professional support services as required.
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Police Board costs were estimated to be $25,000 per year based on municipal police service comparators and include meeting expenses, board training, travel expenses if necessary and other incidentals. It is assumed this board would be voluntary.
Insurance cost estimates were calculated using both the sworn officer and ME resources as cost drivers. This number has been increased significantly because the RCMP and Federal government are self-insured. Legal Service costs were increased significantly and were assumed to be much higher compared to current costs based on municipal service comparators.
Building Costs
The building operating costs were calculated using 5-year historical averages. Power and purchased services increased every year over the last five years therefore the 2019 annual costs were used and increased by the average annual growth rate from the analysis period.
Table 64 – Overtime and Operating Costs for Municipal Model
Average Current Most Recent Fiscal Assumed Municipal Cost/FTE Year Current Model Model Cost/FTE (2014/15 – 2018/19) 2018/19 Cost/ FTE Police – Overtime 18% 26% 18% Police – Travel $1,875 $2,300 $500 Police – Training $4,300 $5,200 $4,500 Police – Training Travel $1,600 $2,000 $1,600 Police – Professional Services $1,400 $2,300 $500 Police – Vehicle Repairs $1,300 $1,600 $1,300 Police – Equipment Repairs $80 $80 $500 Police – Fuel $2,000 $2,500 $2,500 Police – Vehicle Changeovers and Parts $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 Police & ME – Equipment and Supplies $3,300 $2,500 $4,500 Police – Sundry $40 $15 $100 Police & ME – Radio Communication Equipment $1,300 $2,800 $1,300 Police – Vehicles – Capital $2,500 $1,700 $2,500 ME – Overtime 3% of Salary 3% of Salary 3% of Salary ME – Training $650 $1,000 $1,000 ME – Travel $300 $450 $500 Police & ME – Insurance and Legal $170 $170 $1,000 Civilian – Overtime 4% of Salary 4% of Salary 4% of Salary Civilian – Training $300 $300 $500 Civilian – Travel $150 $150 $300 Everyone
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Average Current Most Recent Fiscal Assumed Municipal Cost/FTE Year Current Model Model Cost/FTE (2014/15 – 2018/19) 2018/19 Cost/ FTE Telephone $500 IT Hardware and Software $1,000 Office Expense $400
6.3.1.4.2.3 Contracted Specialized Policing Services
In the municipal model the contracted policing service costs were estimated to be $150,000 per year. This would include Air Support and Major Emergency Event Management Services. In order to calculate these costs, it was assumed that these services would only be needed on a very small number of calls for service or occurrences (such as homicide, kidnapping/hostage/abduction and some missing persons). These occurrences make up a very small volume of Airdrie’s overall average crime statistics, about 1%. This was used to estimate the level and cost of support services they would require. These support service costs are estimated based on direct costs for services as well as organizational overhead associated with those resources in the appropriate proportion using data from municipal police services with these specific specialized units.
Table 65 – Contracted Specialized Policing Service Costs
Annual Estimated Cost Specialized Police Support Services $130,000 Contracted Service Overhead $20,000 TOTAL $150,000
6.3.2 Hybrid Policing Model
The hybrid policing model came to be termed as a hybrid between having a contract service provider and having a municipal police service. It is a deliberate strategy to create a municipal police service based upon the needs of Airdrie calls for service and occurrence data while strategically employing a contractor to provide services that are not likely cost effective for Airdrie to maintain internally within their own police service. The focus of the hybrid municipal service is frontline community policing and call for service response. Specialty services would be contracted – most likely to Calgary. It is assumed that investigative capacity would be retained for less complex files, including but not limited to, assault, robbery, theft, drugs. Assumptions have been made regarding the proportion of investigations that would require specialized assistance.
6.3.2.1.1 Staffing Levels Like the full-service municipal model, additional resources are required compared to the current state for 24/7 dispatch support, oversight and span of control purposes although investigative policing resources are reduced from both the current state and the municipal full-service model. The following list summarizes the position changes in the hybrid policing model compared to the full-service model:
• Similar to the current state, Investigations Team is staffed with 5 Constable level investigators overseen by a Sergeant. Additional support would be brought in from the external contracted service provider
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• Instead of a Forensic Identification Team there would only be one added civilian resource to support evidence collection. A budget has been provided to outsource this function for more complex cases • No additional Constables were added for Special Operations – Emergency Management, Canine and Tactical Team. It is assumed there would be internal resources with some specialized training in emergency event management and tactical support training but that this service would be provided by the contracted partner
Municipal Enforcement Resources
Two (2) constable positions (School Resource Officers) would be transitioned to Municipal Enforcement Officers in the community policing area. Again, the City may initiate a meeting with the Program Office to complete a Needs Assessment to determine when or if peace officer specializations should be pursued.
Police and Civilian vacancies as well as their financial impacts were calculated using the same methodology as the full-service model.
Table 66 – Airdrie Hybrid Municipal Police Service Model Staffing Detail
Rank / Position Title Police Chief 1.0 - Deputy 2.0 - Staff Sergeant 2.0 0.25 Sergeant 6.0 0.25 Patrol Sergeant 7.0 1.0 Constable 45.0 2.0 Total Police 63.0 3.5 Municipal Enforcement Municipal Enforcement Office Supervisor 1.0 - Municipal Enforcement Officer 12.0 - Coordinator 1.0 - Municipal Enforcement Administrative Support 2.0 - Chief Licensing Officer 1.0 - Total Municipal Enforcement Positions 17.0 - Civilian Corporate Services Manager 1.0 - Admin Records & Info Management Team leader 1.0 - Dispatch Team Leader 2.0 - Dispatch 14.0 - Watch Clerk 4.0 -
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Rank / Position Title Crime Analyst 2.0 - CRU Support Clerk 1.0 - GIS Support Clerk 1.0 - Court Liaison 1.0 - Exhibit Custodian 1.0 - Forensic Technician 1.0 - File Reader 1.0 - HR Support 1.0 - Finance Support 1.0 - IT Support 2.0 - Management Admin Support 1.0 - Traffic Clerk 0.5 - CPIC 1.0 - Front Desk Rotational 5.0 - Communications 1.0 - Building and Fleet 1.0 - Total Civilian Staff 43.5 1.3 Total FTE 123.5 4.8
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Legend Legend - Sworn Officer Municipal Police Service Model – Hybrid Service - Sworn Officer - Peace Officer -D - Peace Officer Police Chief (1) - Civilian - Civilian Deputy Police Deputy Police Chief (1) (Insp.) Chief (1) (Insp.)
I -I Patrol Operations Support Operations I Dispatch Team Corporate Services I Supervisor (1) Supervisor (1) I I I Leader (2) I I Manager (1) (S/Sgt.) (S/Sgt.) I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Team Leader, Patrol Platoon Patrol Platoon C Investigative I I Community Policing Traffic Supervisor Administration, Administrative Municipal Supervisor A (1) Supervisor (1) Dispatch A (3) Support Supervisor I I I I Supervisor (1) (Sgt.) (1) (Patrol Sgt.) Records, & Info Support Enforcement (1) (Sgt.) (Sgt.) (1) (Sgt.) I I I I I I Management Team Leader (1) I I I I I I Community I I Municipal Municipal (1 Patrol Sgt; 8 (1 Patrol Sgt; 8 I I Constable (2) Chief Licensing Dispatch B (3) Policing Services Constables (5) I I HR Support (1) Enforcement Enforcement Cst.) Cst.) I I Officer (1) (2) (Patrol Sgt) I I Coordinator (1) Admin Support (2) I I I I CPIC (1) I I I I I I Traffic Clerk (0.5) I I Finance Support Municipal Patrol Platoon B Patrol Platoon D I I Dispatch C (3) Constable (6) Crime Analyst (2) I I Enforcement I I (1) Supervisor (1) Supervisor (1) I I Court Liaison (1) Officer (10) (Sgt.) (Sgt.) I I I I I I I I I I Municipal Forensic I I I I Dispatch D (3) Enforcement Building and Fleet (1 Patrol Sgt; 8 (1 Patrol Sgt; 8 Technician (1) I I I I Officer (2) Support (1) Cst.) Cst.) I I File Reader (1) I I I I L----I --- I I ------I I Dispatch Float (2) 56 FTEs CRU Support (1) I I IT Support (2) I I Front Desk (5) L--- I I I I 16 FTEs GIS Support (1) I I Communications I I Support (1) Watch Clerks (4) I I I I I I Management Exhibit Custodian I I (1) Administrative IL ______Support (1) '1 ------
27.5 FTEs 21 FTEs
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6.3.2.1.2 Service Offerings 6.3.2.1.2.1 Hybrid Municipal Services (Both Sworn and Civilian)
Airdrie would retain a municipal police service that provided all current frontline services including the same level of call response and community policing as well as traffic.
There were no changes made to the frontline services currently provided by the RCMP and some general investigative resources and criminal analytical capacity were retained. The services provided by the hybrid municipal service are:
Patrol Operations Team
• Perform the duties of peace officers • School Resources • Preserve peace, protect life and property and • Police and Crisis Team (PACT) prevent crime and offences against the laws • Domestic Violence Action Team (DVAT) of Canada and the province of Alberta Investigations Unit • Execute warrants • Prevent by-laws offences • General Investigation Section Community Policing Team • Investigative Crime • Drug Investigations • Community Policing • Crime Prevention o Bike Patrol (with Municipal Enforcement Officers) Traffic Team • Victim Services • Municipal Traffic (Traffic Safety) Additional civilian resources were added to ensure the new hybrid municipal service can also provide the additional organizational services that the RCMP currently access regionally. There would not necessarily be teams of resources focused on each service or even one dedicated resource to each service, but there may be resources trained to provide that service as one aspect of their overall function. These special services include:
Patrol Operations Dispatch Team • Division Analysis • Dispatch Services • Governance Support • Human Resource Management Investigations Unit o Hiring, onboarding, training • Forensic Identification coordination • Analytics Team o Performance management support o Crime Reduction Analysis • Strategic Communications • Corporate Services Fleet and Equipment Management • Information Management • Information Technology • Communications Systems • Informatics Operations Support • Provincial Standards
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In addition, services that are distinctly the jurisdiction of the RCMP or are presumed to out of scope for an Airdrie municipal police service were also removed. These include:
• Provincial EDU • Witness Protection • Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT)
6.3.2.1.2.2 Contracted Specialized Policing Services
The municipal service would be supported on complex files from an external service provider. In addition to complex investigative training and equipment and resources the service provider would also provide analytical support and investigative support services including but not limited to: forensic crime scene support, surveillance, polygraph, cyber/forensics, criminal identification, forensic traffic reconstruction, etc.
In addition to complex investigative support the external service provider will also support the municipal service support for major events and calls for service that require emergency management services.
If CPS is the service provider, the following teams would likely provide participate in providing these services:
Table 67 – Contracted Specialized Services
Bureau of Investigative Support Analytical Unit Strategic Services Crime & Intelligence Bureau of Operations Analytical Unit Division Analytical Section Centralized Analytical Unit Real Time Operations Division Analytical Unit Criminal Identification Unit • Criminal History Team Investigative Support o Photo Lineup Team Section • Forensic Firearms & Toolmark Lab Team
• Latent Fingerprint Team (AFIS) o DNA Team Forensic Crime Scene Unit • • Photographic Team Major Crimes Section Guns & Gangs Unit Criminal Investigations Homicide Unit Division • Cold Case Team • Missing Persons Team Behavioural Sciences Unit Specialized • Polygraph Team Investigations Section • SORCA
• ViCLAS Child Abuse Unit • Alberta Vulnerable Infant Response Team (AVIRT)
• Child at Risk Response Team (CARRT) • Prenatal Outreach Support Team (POST)
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Sex Crimes Unit
• Cold Case Team Criminal Networks Anti-Corruption Unit Section Priority Crimes Unit
• Priority Crime Teams Cyber/Forensics Unit Technical Operations • Cybercrime Investigations Team Section • Cybercrime Support Team Criminal Operations • Digital Forensics Team Technical Support Economic Crimes Unit Division • Bank Robbery Team
• Civil Forfeiture • Financial Crimes Investigation Team Technical Investigations Unit • Auto Crime Resource Team • Arson Team • Electronic Surveillance Team • Privacy Act Team Patrol Operations Traffic Section Collision Reconstruction Unit Divisions Strike Force Unit Strategic Enforcement Unit • Alberta Gaming & Liquor Control Investigator Investigative • Drug Expert Operations Section • Drug Undercover Street Team • Gang Enforcement Tam • Gang Suppression Team Public Safety Unit Real Time Operations Major Emergency Division Event Management Emergency Management Unit Section Operational Planning Unit • Special Event Security Team Air Support Unit Canine Unit Support Section Crisis Negotiation Unit
Mounted Unit Tactical Unit
The types of occurrences or files it is assumed the service provider would support the hybrid municipal service on are detailed in the list below. The assumption is that the service provider would not be needed in every instance therefore an assumption was made to estimate the number of times the service provider would be needed by the hybrid municipal service on an annual basis (see further detail in Section 6.3.2.3.2.3.)
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• Homicides & Offences Related to Death • Sexual Assaults and Other Sexual Offences • Assault • Kidnapping/Hostage/Abduction • Extortion • Fraud • Arson • Drug Enforcement – Production, Trafficking, Other • MVC – Fatality • Major Emergency Event Management Support
6.3.2.2 Governance
The governance structure for the hybrid model would be exactly same as in the full-service municipal model. The police board or commission would in this case have the added responsibility of managing a service contract with a service provider for specialty services.
6.3.2.3 Financials 6.3.2.3.1 One-time start Up Costs The start-up costs for the hybrid municipal model are similar to that of the municipal full-service model other than the lab building improvements and investigative equipment would not be required. The equipment and uniform start-up costs would also be reduced as this model has 12 less policing positions and 2 less civilian positions. The same switching costs of $1,000,000 were included.
Table 68 – Hybrid Service Model Transition Costs (retain RCMP cars and equipment)
Estimated Unit Number of Units Cost/Cost Driver Cost Equipment and Uniforms
Uniform $1,000 63 $63,000 Patrol vehicle modifications $2,000 25 $50,000 FMV Vehicles (10%) Purchase from Government of Canada $34,100 Equipment FMV (10%) Purchase from Government of $55,000 Canada Police Training** $5,000 63 $315,000 Civilian Training $2,000 44 $88,000 Total Equipment, Training and Uniforms $605,100 Building Improvements and IT Dispatch Centre Building Improvements $100 1,000 $100,000 Toughbooks and installation $10,000 29.0 $290,000
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Estimated Unit Number of Units Cost/Cost Driver Cost IT Software $250,000 IT Systems Dispatch set-ups 4.0 $40,000 Radio System $100,000 Office Furniture and Equipment $2,500 25 $62,500 Total Building Improvements and IT $842,500 Switching Costs Other Switching Support Costs (legal, travel, consultants) 1,000,000 TOTAL $2,447,600
6.3.2.3.2 Ongoing Operating Costs The annual operating costs for the municipal service are estimated to be $18.4 million. All cost estimates are calculated using the total FTES (excluding both soft and hard vacancies). The table below provides the total estimated annual cost and the sections that follow explain the methodology for calculating the estimated costs.
Table 69 – Airdrie Hybrid Municipal Model Police Service Estimated Annual Operating Costs
Estimated Annual FTE Cost Driver
Operating Cost Salaries and Benefits Police Pay $6,371,646.75 Police Police Overtime $1,163,318 Police Police Pension and Benefits $927,075 Police ME Salaries $1,467,972 ME ME Overtime $38,428 ME ME Benefits $325,386 ME Civilian Salaries $3,438,978 Civilian Civilian Overtime $121,330 Civilian Civilian Benefits $710,290 Civilian Total Salaries & Benefits $14,564,424 Other
Police Travel $28,000 Police Police Training $141,750 Police Police Training Travel $28,000 Police ME Training $17,000 ME ME Travel $8,500 ME Civilian Training $21,000 Civilian
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Estimated Annual FTE Cost Driver
Operating Cost Civilian Travel $13,000 Civilian Telephone $58,000 Everyone Office Expense $46,000 Everyone Corps of Commissionaires $130,000 Recent Year + Avg. Growth Professional Services $28,000 Police Vehicle Repairs $73,000 Police Equipment Repairs $4,500 Police Fuel $142,000 Police Vehicle Changeovers and Parts $56,700 Police Equipment and Supplies $147,000 Police + ME Prisoner Expenses $300 Average Sundry $2,300 Police Radio Communication Equipment $96,000 Police + ME Vehicles – Capital $142,000 Police Police Board $25,000 Hardware and Software $116,000 Everyone Legal Services $85,000 Everyone Police + ME (based on ME Insurance Premiums $74,000 current costs) Police + ME (based on ME Incident/Loss $18,000 current costs) ME Professional Membership Fees $250 Average Total Other $1,501,300 Building Building Insurance $12,200 Average Building Incident/Loss $500 Average Natural Gas $7,900 Average Power $86,000 Recent Year + Avg. Growth Purchased Services $156,000 Recent Year + Avg. Growth Water/Sewer $2,100 Average Building Maintenance $34,700 Average Total Building $299,400 Contracted Policing Support Services (External Service $1,997,000* Provider)**
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Estimated Annual FTE Cost Driver
Operating Cost TOTAL $18,362,124 Revenue ($3,085,438)**
Net $15,276,686
* See Section 6.3.2.3.2.3 for detailed breakdown
** 2019 revenue was used as it hasn’t grown in the last two years, rental revenue has been removed 6.3.2.3.2.1 Salaries, Benefits and Overtime
Salaries for police officers were estimated using Calgary Police Service average salaries by rank as well as pension and benefit rates.31 Airdrie will have to compete, to some degree, with neighboring police services, including Calgary, to attract the human resources necessary to operate their service. Therefore, CPS salary data was utilized as the market rate comparator.
Table 70 – Municipal Police Service Average Annual Salary by Rank
Average Salary Police Chief $232,000 Deputy $167,000 Staff Sergeant $137,000 Sergeant $124,000 Detective $112,000 Patrol Sergeant $112,000 Constable $97,000
Costs were calculated using a combination of the historical costs for policing from the previous 5 years as well as financial information from other municipal policing services. Most costs were calculated using an estimated cost/FTE (some costs were specific to policing personnel and others were calculated based on total FTEs).
Current ME and Civilian position salaries were used and salaries for new positions were based on a market assessment of similar positions in Alberta for policing organizations of a similar size and operating budget. Salary data was sourced from a Canadian national salary database, the Economic Research Institute’s (ERI) Salary Assessor. The ERI database houses salary data for 6,000 positions in more than 1,000 industries and allows customized reporting by geographic area, industry and organization size. New position salary figures are based on median salaries provided by ERI’s Salary Assessor.
Overtime was calculated based on historical 5-year average overtime costs for each position time using the average percentage of total salary costs.
6.3.2.3.2.2 Operating Costs
The methodology for calculating the operating costs for the hybrid municipal model is the same as that used for the full-service model although a few of the cost/FTE were adjusted due to the difference in services provided (decreased investigative capacity mainly). The training and training travel costs for police officers were reduced in
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comparison to the full-service model as there would be a lower number of specialized resources and training needs. The equipment and supply and equipment repair costs were also reduced to reflect current model historical costs for the same reason as less specialized equipment would be needed with reduced investigative services. The following table summarizes the costs/FTE that vary from the full-service model.
Table 71 – Overtime and Operating Costs that Differ for the Hybrid Model
Average Current 2018/19 Cost/ FTE Municipal Model
Cost/FTE Cost/FTE Police – Training $4,300 $5,200 $2,500 Police – Training Travel $1,600 $2,000 $500 Police – Equipment Repairs $80 $80 $80 Police – Equipment and Supplies $3,300 $2,500 $2,000 Police – Sundry $40 $15 $40
6.3.2.3.2.3 Contracted Specialized Policing Services
The cost estimation for the contracted policing services to provide the services highlighted in the previous section was estimated using average occurrence information for Airdrie for the last 5 years and the estimated percentage of occurrences requiring specialized services detailed in the table below. For example, the model assumes that specialized assistance would only be needed on level 2 and 3 sexual assaults which were 3% of sexual assaults for a comparable municipal police service. The same assumption was used for assaults (30% of the total assaults) and are based on data from a comparable municipal policing service. Airdrie current assault crime statistics were not available at the same level of detail therefore the comparator percentages were used to estimate the number of historical Level 2 & 3 assaults there were using Airdrie’s average annual number of these events. It was assumed contracted specialized services would be required for all homicides, extortion and MVC resulting in a fatality (assumes there would be a need for forensic collision reconstruction specialists).
The costs were estimated using other municipal service data and include specialized unit support with investigative support services (Forensic and Criminal Identification, surveillance, etc.) allocated as an estimated cost per occurrence, major emergency event management support (air services, tactical, canine, emergency event management, etc.) as well as a cost for organizational overhead to support the resources that would be needed to provide the service.
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Table 72 – Contracted Specialized Policing Service Costs
Airdrie % of Occurrences Contracted Total Average Occurrences Requiring Service Occurrence Occurrence Type Annual Crime Requiring Assistance Cost/Occurren Support Cost Statistics Assistance ce Homicides & Offences Related to Death 1 100% 1 $180,000 $180,000 Sexual Assaults and Other Sexual Offences 59 3%* 1 $5,000 $5,000 (Level 2&3) Assault (Level 2&3) 380 30%** 112 $5,000 $600,000 Kidnapping/Hostage/Abduction 8 50% 4 $110,000 $440,000 Extortion 4 100% 4 $4,000 $16,000 Fraud 310 5% 16 $4,000 $64,000 Arson 155 10% 2 $7,000 $14,000 Drug Enforcement – Production, Trafficking, 203 10% 7 $9,000 $63,000 Other MVC – Fatality 1 100% 1 $90,000 $90,000 Total Occurrence Support $1,382,000 Major Emergency Event Management Support $350,000 Contracted Service Overhead $265,000 Total Contracted Service Costs $1,997,000
* Level 2&3
** Level 2&3
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7 CONCLUSION
The following subsections provide a summary of the preceding sections and compare the models created against the status quo utilizing the areas of Service, Governance and Cost.
7.1 Service
Status Quo
Service provided by Airdrie’s current policing contract is perceived as quite high. The RCMP’s most recent service- related survey resulted in 58% of the public responding positively or very positively while only 15% of responses were negative or very negative. These results were echoed by the survey conducted specifically for this project with only 20% responding negatively and 80% responding that service was either acceptable, good or very good.
Areas that are perceived to require improvement included themes such as higher visibility, being proactive and not so reactive, better public relations, focusing more on “real crime” and not traffic infractions and increased “community policing”.
These are common concerns of the public regarding their police regardless of the community. Police services everywhere are challenged with these needs and although some are succeeding more than others, most in the policing world would admit that no service has absolutely nailed it just yet. That is not to relieve the police of the obligation to meet these goals, only an acknowledgement that police services continue to modify and change to try and meet the needs of their communities. They are big organizations that often struggle with rapid change, the RCMP is not an exception.
Overall though, the service being provided by the RCMP is good. Just as it is reasonable to expect that the service provided by each of the other alternatives would be good. In fact, some of them are likely the same people, trained in the same places in the same manner.
Municipal Model
The municipal model aims to replace as many of the services in the status quo with only a few exceptions. It is reasonable to believe that a municipal service will provide as good of service to Airdrie as the current model – particularly when it pertains to general patrol and frontline services.
If there is a service risk to this model, it is that some speciality services may not gain exposure to certain types of crime, investigations or activities. This increases the risk that officers may not be able to react to or act in these scenarios as well as someone who specializes in that area full-time.
The RCMP is often criticized for the frequency that it moves officers from community to community. There is speculation that a municipal model allows officers to remain within the same community for their entire career – providing an enhanced level of service to a community they are committed to. It also allows the officers to be more involved in the community professional and socially. Although this may be true, there is no evidence to the contrary as well. Police officers are most often very professional and committed to the communities they police regardless of the period they have lived or will live in them. Some may even suggest it is easier to be impartial in a community where officers have some level of anonymity.
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High turnover rates related to relocations are often also discredited because of the turnover on local projects, committees and not-for-profits. An officer is transferred, just when they begin to learn the community and the committee they are on. This creates frustration for these organizations because of the waste required to retrain the new member – as well as the lost information that leaves with the departing officer. Although the municipal model may be perceived a solution to this because officers remain in the same service for their careers, municipal models struggle with the same challenge. Municipal services typically have tenure models which limit the period an officer can stay in any one department or physical geography within a service. This increases breadth of learning and experience for officers and creates a progression for officers to take on more senior roles. The pros and cons of the tenure model are a common debate within municipal police services.
Hybrid Model
The hybrid model will have the same service-related characteristics as the municipal model with one exception – it attempts to mitigate the risk of high-risk, low-frequency events by contracting those to resources that deal with those services full time.
Although this ensures these events are handled by experienced professionals, it may be perceived to increase risk because those services are not maintained internally. In this case, the proximity of CPS mitigates these risks. The ability for CPS to deploy air or search and rescue services is not much more than for its own city. Complex major crimes investigations require a response, but one that would be well within the abilities of CPS to respond. In fact, many CPS officers already live in Airdrie.
Alternative Contractor Model – Calgary Police Service
The Calgary Police Service is a highly trained and respective police service with a fulsome array of services to provide. As reported earlier in this report, Calgary continues to receive high satisfaction survey results from Calgarians.
Discussions with CPS have resulted in the confidence that CPS could provide service to Airdrie by adding it as a separate but attached district. In fact, it would quite a desirable posting for some because of the volume of CPS officers living in Airdrie.
Regionalized Model
There is no evidence that a regionalized model could not be developed that would provide as good of service to Airdrie as any other model. Concerns with the regionalized model include how officers are assigned to certain municipalities and the flexibility in how they respond to calls as well as where speciality services reside and their deployment methodology.
7.1.1 Service Summary
Each one of the alternatives is likely to provide good service to the City of Airdrie. The RCMP are currently providing good service, CPS would be expected to provide the same level of service it does to Calgarians and there is no evidence that Airdrie could not establish its own municipal service that would do the same.
How services are provided will vary slightly between the alternative though. The following table compares the models within this report to the status quo in terms of sworn officer, ME and civilian FTEs. Both the status quo and
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the Hybrid model require less officers and civilians because of their use of regionalized or outsourced resources. The contract service provider model only retains the ME positions.
Table 73 – Summary Comparison of Option Staffing Levels
Contract Current Municipal Hybrid Service Provider Police Total Police* 67.0 75.0 63.0 - Municipal Enforcement Total Municipal Enforcement Positions 16.5 17 17 16.5 Civilian Total Civilian Staff 25.5 45.5 43.5 - Total FTE 109.0 137.5 123.5 16.5
* Authorized strength
7.2 Governance
Status Quo
Airdrie’s relationship with the RCMP within the status quo is contractual. Although an advisory board exists, it functions in an advisory capacity alone and not in a governance capacity. The advisory board is afforded the ability to provide input but not directly influence all aspects the City has wished to influence at times. There are indications that Airdrie has not been satisfied, on occasion, when it has tried to leverage its position as the contractee or client.
It is the nature of this relationship though, that provides the City the significant value of a buffer from the liability that may be incurred by the actions of the RCMP or an RCMP officer.
Although it is often seen as a benefit to have the RCMP responsible to train, hire and manage all their officers as a contractor (despite many of these costs being passed on to their contract partners), the separation has created a human capital challenge in Airdrie. Having two groups of people reporting through two different structures has created real challenges for the management, discipline and development of City employees.
Municipal Model – Full Service
The municipal model would include a true governance model. A police board or committee that has full control to select the officer in charge or the Chief of Police and have full control to hold that individual accountable to a strategic and business plan. It would have the responsibility to establish policies providing for efficient and effective policing, issue instructions, as necessary, to the Chief of Police in respect to these policies, allocate funds provided by council, appoint complaint directors and assist in resolving public complaints.
However, it must be noted that this does not ensure that the City can always influence the police service in every regard. Police governance structures are purposefully in place to provide a necessary buffer between the political,
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public and bureaucratic elements of the City. There are many cases, particularly in large municipalities, where elected officials feel they are not able to influence the actions of the police either.
Lastly, although there is a governance buffer between the City and a municipal police service, the liability for that police service extends to the City. The City also has the added burden of hiring and managing all the officers and related staff. However, this responsibility likely helps alleviate the challenges that Airdrie is currently having with divergent reporting lines. Everyone will report through the same structure in a municipal model.
Hybrid Model
The hybrid model will have the same pros and cons from a governance perspective as the full-service municipal model.
The hybrid model will retain a contractual relationship, meaning Airdrie’s leverage over the service it gets from CPS (or any other agency) will be tied to its contract with said agency. Although speculation, there is general sentiment that dealing with the CPS may be easier than with the RCMP because of proximity and shared interests. Others are concerned that’s Airdrie’s needs could get lost in a large organization whose primary accountability is to Calgary.
Regional Model
The major concern regarding the regional model is the complexity associated with nine communities, with some similarities but as many differences, working together to govern a service organization. This model seems to have worked with physical capital infrastructure, but there are significant concerns that managing a police service in this manner will be problematic.
7.2.1 Governance Summary
The status quo is not perfect. The complaints or concerns of Airdrie are shared with many municipalities, provinces and territories that retain the services of the RCMP. They are most often summarized as feeling they don’t have influence commensurate with the proportion of the budget they comprise. On the other hand, they don’t have to worry about the risk of hiring and managing police officers nor are they responsible for the actions of those officers – to the greater degree. Further, the RCMP must govern and operate their own organization in the way they see fit. The challenge is that many of their contract partners feel that its obligations are too widespread, and often too Ottawa-focused, to result in contract partners being a meaningful contributor to decision making.
Based upon the concerns expressed by the City, a municipal model, with a true governance structure, would provide the influence it seeks, albeit at the cost of absorbing the commensurate liability of doing so.
7.3 Financial
The cost comparison of the models is provided in the table below. The current RCMP contract model is the most cost effective of the models.
The full-service municipal model requires more officers to replace the regionalized services provided in the current RCMP model – both by sworn officers and civilians. It is assumed that the second floor of the police service building would be required in both municipal models and revenue has decreased in each of these because of lost rent.
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The Hybrid model attempts to mitigate some of the costs of the full-service municipal model by contracting out several services for crimes and occurrences that are complex but not common in Airdrie. Airdrie has an advantage in this regard. A hybrid model as proposed only works when there is a significant police presence in proximity, which Airdrie has with the CPS. This type of model likely has many more flaws if Airdrie was 100 or even 50km further from Calgary.
Utilizing Calgary as a contract service provider is estimated to be a relatively similar cost to the hybrid model and more than the RCMP contract; however, it is much more cost effective than the full-service municipal model. Again, this model is only viable because of Airdrie’s unique proximity to Calgary.
Table 74 – Summary Comparison of Options Estimated Expenditures (including Municipal Enforcement)
Current RCMP Municipal – Full Contract Service Municipal – Hybrid Contract* Service Provider Total Expenditures $14,101,327 $20,122,552 $18,362,124 $17,191,217 Revenue ($3,678,295) ($3,085,438) ($3,085,438) ($3,085,438) Net $10,423,032 $17,037,114 $15,276,686 $14,105,779
* Adjusted for RCMP average vacancy rate of 10% of authorized strength instead of 2018/19 vacancy rate of 17%
The preceding table includes an estimate of the RCMP 2018/19 at average Utilization. In that year, there were 11.19 vacancies, significantly higher than the average over the most recent 5-year period, which dropped the cost of the model in that year. The table includes a cost that is estimated if there was an average number of vacancies that year – 6.12. All the other models have been built to include a vacancy rate that represents the average over the recent 5-year period.
7.4 The National Police Federation
There has been the opportunity within this project and others, to speak with representatives from the National Police Federation (NFP). The NPF is the sole certified bargaining agent for regular non-commissioned members and reservists of the RCMP (below the rank of Inspector). Although founded in 2016, the NPF was certified in July of 2019. The NPF has several initiatives and issues it hopes to pursue but its number one issue is salaries for RCMP members.32 The NPF hoped to initiate this bargaining by mid-March but has been slowed by the COVID global pandemic. The RCMP are currently ranked 122nd in the salary comparison of Canadian police services with First Class Constables earning approximately $86,110.33 Although it is unknown what increases they may be able to negotiate, there will likely be significant pay increases for RCMP officers as a result of this negotiation. These salaries may be increased to the detriment of other benefits; however, specifics are unknown at this time.
Therefore, in the face of what seems to be certain salary increases, it seems prudent to include some analysis that compares the policing model alternatives utilizing higher rates.
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7.4.1 Salary Considerations
The Calgary Police Service was used as an order of magnitude comparator. The CPS are currently ranked at 11th highest police salaries in Canada, with First Class Constables (typically 3-5 years service) earning approximately $101,370 annually. Alternatively, the RCMP are currently ranked 122nd, with First Class Constables earning approximately $86,110.34 Across Canada, the average salary for police officers in 2017/18 was $99,298.35 Through the collective bargaining process, the RCMP could see increases in member salaries to better align with the Canadian average even if they are not increased to the level of Calgary in 11th position.
To estimate the potential increase in salary, benefits, and overtime costs, two methodologies were undertaken. The first methodology to calculate a new estimate using a 10% salary increase for the 2018/19 salaries. Benefits were calculated using current rates – benefits at 25% of salary and overtime at 18%.
Table 70 shows the FTE utilization by rank for the RCMP in 2018/19 and the calculation for the equivalent position salaries for the CPS. Benefits are calculated at 32% of salary for the CPS.36 This provides what the current cost for the status quo would be utilizing CPS salary and benefit rates.
Table 71 shows that with the unionization of the RCMP, should the City of Airdrie maintain their current contract, they could expect to pay approximately $400,000 at a 10% increase which would take the RCMP to an “average” rate of pay. If the NFP were to negotiate to CPS rates, an additional $800,000 in salary costs would be incurred in the status quo.
There has been speculation regarding whether the negotiation will include back-pay at increased rates. There is no evidence or information regarding whether this will occur, at what rate and for what term. As such, the following tables do not include a back-pay estimate.
Table 75 – CPS Salary Equivalents for RCMP 2018/19
Pay Class FTE Total Base CPS Salary per FTE Total Salary
Corporal (CPL-01) 6.88 $111,728 $769,177 Constable (CST-01) 38.94 $97,256 $3,787,265 Inspector (INP-01) 1.09 $167,315 $182,142 Sergeant (SGT-01) 4.88 $124,025 $604,722 Staff Sergeant (SST-01) 2.02 $136,833 $275,889 Total 53.81 - $5,619,196
Table 76 – Union and CPS Equivalent Estimates for Salary, Benefits, and Overtime Costs Compared to Current RCMP Costs
NPF Negotiated Estimate 18-19* CPS Estimate* (10% Increase) Estimate* Member Pay $5,376,725 $5,914,397 $5,956,348 Overtime $1,395,711 $1,535,282 $1,546,171 Employee Benefit Plans $1,210,218 $1,470,771 $1,906,031
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NPF Negotiated Estimate 18-19* CPS Estimate* (10% Increase) Estimate* Total Member Pay, Overtime and Benefits $7,982,653 $8,920,450 $9,408,550 Total Member Pay, Overtime and Benefits at 90% Contract $7,184,388 $8,028,405 $8,467,695 Partner Share
* Adjusted for RCMP average vacancy rate of 10% of authorized strength instead of 2018/19 vacancy rate of 17% Table 77 – Comparison of Costs for Each Model Including Potential RCMP Salary Increases Due to NPF Negotiations
Current Current at CPS Contract Municipal Hybrid 10% Salary Salary Rates Service Provider Increase Total Expenditures $14,945,345 $15,384,635 $20,122,552 $18,362,124 $17,191,217 Revenue ($3,678,295) ($3,678,295) ($3,085,438) ($3,085,438) ($3,085,438) Net $11,267,050 $11,706,340 $17,037,114 $15,276,686 $14,105,779
The municipal and municipal hybrid models are projected to cost approximately $286 and $261 per capita respectively. Both are relatively lean budgets compared to most if not all municipal comparators. Red Deer’s recent policing review projected a municipal service to cost approximately $50 million in 2023 with approximately double the officers than the Airdrie model. The CPS contract service provider is projected to be a lower budget than both municipal services demonstrating CPS’s ability to utilize scale efficiencies – assuming an officer per capita rate commensurate with Airdrie’s current rate. The RCMP model is projected to exhibit the lowest cost, including projected salary increases from upcoming NPF negotiations (adjusted for normalized vacancy rate).
7.5 Conclusion and Recommendations
There are several indicators that the City of Airdrie is interested in changing police services. There is clear unrest within the City stakeholders regarding the limitations of the current police service and it not being within the City’s purview. There exists significant sentiment that the City can operate more efficiently and be more effective if the police are within the City’s operations and not provided by an external contractor. It is acknowledged; however, that a municipal service is not a panacea. By design, a police service needs to be governed by an independent police commission whose sole mandate is to ensure the police service is providing what is required by the citizens of Airdrie – regardless of its fit with other City operations. Cities with municipal police services face some of the same challenges Airdrie faces with the RCMP. They are not all RCMP concerns, but police issues in general.
In general, all the models contained herein are expected to provide service the public would likely interpret as good even if how they do so varies. However, there are concerns regarding the RCMP’s ability to provide a high level of service to their contract policing commitments. Concerns related to recruiting and retaining officers that find the transient posting model utilized by the RCMP to be suitable, with acquiring the best tools and technology with a cumbersome and bureaucratic procurement system, of having disparate masters and priorities and questions
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related to the future suitability of the RCMP to perform contract policing for provinces, territories and municipalities . Although the service the RCMP is providing to Airdrie is rated as good by the public, these issues are in the background and continue to evolve.
The public survey indicates that although both the RCMP and ME service provision are regarded as good, the services they provide are perceived to be not meeting the City’s needs nearly as well. The survey also indicates that 46% of respondents would be willing to pay more for police services if it meant having more input and influence while only 17% would not be willing to. The order of magnitude cost increase between the current state and the Municipal Hybrid model is estimated to be in the magnitude of $42 per capita (gross costs adjusted to CPS- competitive salaries and normalized vacancy rate).
The governance structures of the municipal models are best aligned with the directions and initiatives that the City wishes to pursue albeit at an increased liability to the City.
The current RCMP model has the lowest cost and the full-service municipal model is projected to have the highest, with the municipal hybrid and CPS as a contract service provider between the two. The hybrid municipal model has merits because it provides the governance mechanism that Airdrie is looking for while mitigating costs by outsourcing serious yet infrequent occurrences to Calgary (or another service provider). It is of note that these municipal police services have been designed to be lean. The full-service model has been estimated at approximately $286 per capita and the hybrid model at $261 –lower than most municipal police service costs that typically range from $300 – $400 per capita.
The bottom line is to determine whether the perceived gains of a municipal service is worth the estimated $3.5 million difference in annual cost between the two models (assuming CPS competitive pay increases and a normalized vacancy rate).
7.5.1 Recommendation
Selecting a policing model for Airdrie is obviously not a light decision. There are multiple contexts and complex issues to consider. In addition, policing in Airdrie, like most cities, is one of the top expenditures by the city every year. The policing model can have a material effect on a city’s budget. It can also be a polarizing decision within a community.
There is no immediate need for Airdrie to change its policing model based upon current satisfaction surveys, crime trends and statistics and the RCMP’s ability to provide value in relation to cost. The current environment related to the global COVID pandemic is not conducive to immediate change. There are significant unknowns regarding how the world operates going forward. The financial strain of COVID-related programming and subsidies will likely affect government budgets for years to come. Airdrie’s current RCMP contract provides knowns to assist with the vast array of unknowns within the foreseeable future.
There are, however, concerns regarding the RCMP’s suitability to police Airdrie in the long term. Concerns around recruiting, communication, transparency and the ability to be nimble and innovative. Therefore, the proposed recommendation encompasses a multi-year timeline that affords Airdrie the advantage of learning from others, working on how it interacts with the RCMP, beginning to set aside transition and additional funds and allow for additional public input and reflection. The recommendation includes not making an immediate change to the current policing model but deploying the following, or a combination of the following courses of action:
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1) Watch and learn what can be gleaned from the Surrey transition. Surrey’s ongoing transition from the RCMP to a municipal service can provide Airdrie significant ‘lessons learned’. There will also be significant value in monitoring Surrey’s transition plan against their actual transition costs (originally estimated at $45 million of which a significant portion was IT related). Recent consultations with those close to Surrey indicate that the transition has less momentum than it had to start, specifically as the degree to which property taxes are expected to increase is better understood. a) Surrey’s transition plan indicates a transition in April of 2021 (agreement allows for 25 months after giving notice to RCMP). Recent consultations and news releases indicate that Surrey will likely not meet that target date and may operate with a blended operation for a period. 2) Gather what can be learned from Surrey’s first year or two of operations. There will be value in understanding what areas Surrey feels they have been able to improve, and areas where they believe they continue to struggle. This may indicate areas that are related the model itself and which are policing challenges in general. Questions to answer will include. i) How has public opinion changed? ii) Have major policing metrics changed? iii) How have costs changed? iv) How has mayor and council’s ability to provide input changed? 3) In the meantime, consider the use of a third-party moderator at Municipal Advisory Board Meetings and with the RCMP relationship in general a) Other municipalities have utilized a third-party moderator to assist the municipality with executing its rights within their MPSA. These are typically retired RCMP members with experience from both perspectives of the MPSA and/or PPSA. Moderators can also aid with creating a process framework that relies less on the relationship with the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) and more on process-driven framework so that interactions remain consistent, regardless of the commander. 4) Begin to prepare for a potential transition by putting funds in reserve for transition costs a) There are approximately 3 - 4 years between Surrey completing its transition plan and operating independently for an additional 2 years. Airdrie can utilize this time frame to create a transition or reserve fund to prepare for anticipated costs. Airdrie would have to set aside $1.25 million annually over 4 years to set aside a $5 million transition fund. b) These funds can be reallocated if Airdrie decides to take a different direction. Either for general use or into community safety related programming such as community safety officers, addictions outreach or related resources. 5) Continue to engage the public and provide transparent information throughout. This report will provide the public with information required to provide informed input to the City a) The public’s perception regarding their safety is key to whether a City is deemed ‘safe’ – perception is reality. b) Utilize this report to provide an order of magnitude cost estimate for the public regarding the cost of policing provider options c) There will be a cost increase if Airdrie transitions to a municipal police service. The public needs to understand what they are getting in return.
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6) If there is still significant reason or desire to change at that time – be bold – do not create a municipal version of the police service that exists. Create a police service for the future. For example: a) Integrate civilians and non-sworn officers into community policing, patrols and call responses. i) Integrate the municipal enforcement officers into patrols. ii) Integrate other specialists into the organization as required such as addictions, homelessness and mental health. Work with organizations that provide these services but hire your own if you can’t get the service you require. b) Use data to focus on proactive crime prevention, not crime response
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APPENDICES
Appendix A. Research Framework
Service Services Governance Finances Provider Comparators: Comparators: Establish using RCMP invoices to • Staffing Levels • The degree to which key the City of Airdrie and understanding RCMP costing • Service Standards decisions are made: o Setting the objectives, model. • Services Offered priorities, and goals • Administration o Input into the activities • Deployment model performed RCMP • Specialty resources o Determining the level (Current • of policing services Model) Community Policing Focus • Additional / Extra Services • Level of Council Input • Flexibility • Federally and provincially • Control mandated responsibilities • Autonomy vs. municipal responsibilities • Consultation Methodology • Internal Reviews • Risk and Liability Comparators: Comparators: Develop a financial model • Staffing levels • The degree to which key utilizing costing information from previous projects e.g. • Service standards decisions are made: o Setting the objectives, Dryden and Brandon. • Service offerings priorities, and goals • Administration o Input into the activities Comparators: • Deployment model performed • Cost to terminate RCMP • Specialty resources o Determining the level contract Regional • Community policing focus of policing services • Costing model for the • Additional / extra services • Level of Council Input regional police service • Flexibility • Regional responsibilities vs. • Control municipal responsibilities • Autonomy • Consultation Methodology • Internal Reviews • Risk and Liability
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Service Services Governance Finances Provider Comparators: Comparators: Develop a financial model • Staffing levels • The degree to which key utilizing costing information from previous projects e.g. • Service standards decisions are made: o Setting the objectives, Dryden and Brandon. • Services offered priorities, and goals • Administration o Input into the activities • Deployment model performed Comparators: • Specialty resources o Determining the level • Cost to terminate RCMP • Community policing focus of policing services contract Municipal • Additional / extra services • Level of Council Input • Staff compensation • Flexibility • Staff recruitment and • Control training costs • Autonomy • Consultation Methodology • Police facility • Internal Reviews • Police vehicles • Risk and Liability • Policing equipment • Cost of maintaining a Police Services Board • Overhead Comparators: Existing Police Board Develop a financial model • Staffing levels utilizing costing information provided by the City of Calgary • Service standards Comparators: and Calgary Police Service. • • The degree to which key Services offered • Administration decisions are made: o Setting the objectives, Comparators: • Deployment model priorities, and goals • Cost to terminate RCMP • Specialty resources o Input into the activities contract • Community policing focus performed • Calgary Police Service Calgary • Additional / extra services o Determining the level costing model of policing services • Level of Council Input • Flexibility • Control • Autonomy • Consultation Methodology • Internal Reviews • Risk and Liability
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Appendix B. Stakeholder Interview Guide
Introduction
The City of Airdrie has engaged MNP to review all programs and priorities delivered through the enforcement section of the Protective Services Team (Municipal Enforcement and RCMP with all units operating within the detachment). This review is in response to an objective in the City’s AirdrieONE Sustainability Plan with the sustainability focused goal to “provide and enhance social sustainability of the City by facilitating the creation of safe and caring communities.” One measurement of success of this social sustainability objective, is for the City to review the proportion of community members who rate their neighbourhood as safe through a citizen survey.
MNP has been engaged to complete a service and governance review regarding the City’s current policing model to measure its ability to meet objectives as set out in the AirdrieONE Sustainability Plan. The review and subsequent report are necessary to identify challenges and provide recommendations for the City moving forward.
As a key stakeholder of the policing delivery model for the City of Airdrie MNP would like to ask you the following questions to assist with the policing study.
Interview Questions
1. What is the role of your position in your organization and what are your major accountabilities?
2. (For interviews of non-RCMP people) How do your organization and policing within the City of Airdrie relate? What are the key interdependencies?
3. In terms of the impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of policing or municipal enforcement service delivery, what was the most significant event or development in the City of Airdrie you have seen or been a part of recently? What was/were the implication for service delivery?
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4. What major trends have been affecting policing and municipal enforcement in Airdrie over the past three to five years and what effect do you believe they are having or will have on the delivery of policing services in Airdrie?
a. List two or three trends that are internal to the organization and their effects?
b. List two or three trends that are external to the organization and their effects?
5. When considering the way things are right now, what would you say are the major strengths of the current policing model within the City of Airdrie?
6. When considering the current policing and municipal enforcement model within the City of Airdrie, what would you say are areas where improvement is required? How will these improvements contribute to service delivery in the future?
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7. (RCMP specific) What is currently your greatest challenge(s) when it comes to the following? Are they the same challenges as they were 10 years ago or are they changing? Do you anticipate different challenges in the future?
a. Human Resources
b. Operations
c. Technology
d. Other?
8. What do you understand about the project that we are undertaking and what do you hope to see as outcomes of this project?
9. Other comments.
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Appendix C. Calgary Police Service Interview Guide
Introduction
MNP is currently engaged with the City of Airdrie to review their current police service including the integration with their Municipal Enforcement officers. MNP has been asked to compare potential policing models within this engagement including current state, an Airdrie municipal police service, an alternative contract service provider e.g. the Calgary Police Service, and a regional policing model.
We have asked CPS to assist us with better understanding how a service like CPS could be a service provider to Airdrie. In addition, if Airdrie were to create their own municipal service, what would the relationship with CPS look like? Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with us and assisting in this endeavour.
Although we believe our conversations will be relatively organic, we have provided the following overarching questions, then more specific questions for each department to start the conversation.
Please bear in mind that these are conceptual conversations meant to encompass “the art of the possible”. We are mindful of the sensitivity related to these discussions and it has been made clear to Airdrie that these discussions will have absolutely no bearing on future discussions or considerations. This information is being used to assist Airdrie in understanding options, not to negotiate a potential service agreement. Interview Questions
1. Does a concept like providing policing services to Airdrie provide you any immediate concern(s)? What are they?
2. Do you believe there could be efficiency or effectiveness gains be being the policing service provider for Airdrie?
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Infrastructure Service Division 3. Do you think there would be concerns utilizing the current Airdrie Policing building?
4. Are there requirements for your facilities we need to be aware of that may not already exist in Airdrie’s policing building?
Executive Governance 5. To your knowledge, are there any impediments that would preclude someone from Airdrie applying to be on the Calgary Police Commission?
6. Would the Commission’s composition need to be altered to understand the needs of Airdrie constituents?
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7. What oversight challenges might exist?
Finance 8. To provide order of magnitude costs, can we extrapolate CPS’s per capita cost in Calgary? For example: $425 per capita to 70,000 population equals an annual cost of approximately $30 million. a) Is there a better way to get to order of magnitude costs? i) By calls for service proportionately? b) Do you currently have a similar relationship? And if so, what pricing mechanism is utilized or proposed? c) Do you currently charge other police services for assistance? For example, if CPS assists Lethbridge on a major crime or lends its air services?
Information Management Division 9. Would it be possible to get an order of magnitude estimate of start-up costs to switch Airdrie over to CPS technology – whether it be infrastructure, hard or software?
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10. What is required for Airdrie to join Calgary 911?
TNPS 11. Can you describe some of the proposed mechanisms for this relationship?
12. What are the proposed services to be provided to TNPS?
13. Which do you think are applicable to potential Airdrie service provision? Which are not?
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14. What are the start-up costs associated with this partnership that we should be aware of as we advise Airdrie?
Strategic Services 15. What effect(s) does providing service to additional communities have on the overarching mission and vision of CPS and how its executes on its strategic plan?
16. Are there any CPS initiatives, studies or audits that might help inform our work with Airdrie?
HR and CCLC 17. What is the capacity for CPS to expand its recruiting cycle by approximately 60 officers?
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18. Does the CCLC have the capacity to accommodate this increase?
19. Would the preference of CPS be to have administrative and related staff in Airdrie be CPS employees?
Operations 20. We have seen Airdrie as “District 9” and that every service provided in Calgary gets provided in Airdrie under the same model CPS policies Calgary. Is this a fair assumption at this juncture? Or is it too simplistic?
21. How do you foresee using Airdrie’s Municipal Enforcement Officers? What do you think the integration of these officers with CPS officers looks like?
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22. What is the capacity of your support services e.g. major crimes, forensics etc. to meet the need of Airdrie?
23. How would CPS determine the number of officers required in Airdrie? a) Calls for service volume? b) CSI? c) Some combination?
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Appendix D. Online Public Survey Questions
Introduction
The City of Airdrie has engaged MNP to review all programs and priorities delivered through the enforcement section of its Protective Services Team (Municipal Enforcement and RCMP). This review is in response to an objective in the City’s AirdrieONE Sustainability Plan. The City has a focused goal to “provide and enhance social sustainability of the City by facilitating the creation of safe and caring communities”.
MNP has been engaged to complete a service and governance review regarding the City’s current policing model to measure its ability to meet objectives as set out in the AirdrieONE Sustainability Plan. To review detailed information regarding the City of Airdrie’s current policing model, please click here. The review and subsequent report are necessary to identify challenges and provide recommendations for the City moving forward.
As a public stakeholder of the policing delivery model for the City of Airdrie, MNP would like to ask you the following survey questions to assist with the policing study. If you have any questions about the questionnaire or have trouble completing it, please contact Victoria Penner at [email protected]. Finally, all responses will be anonymous and kept confidential. Specifically, no identifying pieces of information will be requested to complete the survey and the responses of the survey will only be shared in an aggregate form.
Survey Questions
1. Are you a current resident of the City of Airdrie? a. Yes b. No
2. Have you, or your organization, received policing services provided from the RCMP in the past two years? a. Yes, I have received services from the RCMP in the past two years b. No, I have not received services from the RCMP in the past two years
3. Have you, or your organization, received enforcement services provided from the City of Airdrie’s Municipal Enforcement Officers in the past two years? a. Yes, I have received enforcement services from the Municipal Enforcement Officers in the past two years b. No, I have not received enforcement services from the Municipal Enforcement Officers in the past two years
4. In your opinion, what is the quality of the policing services as provided by the RCMP. a. Very Good
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b. Good c. Acceptable d. Poor e. Very Poor
5. Please describe your answer to the previous question: *open ended
6. In your opinion, to what level do you agree that the police services as provided by the RCMP meet the needs of Airdrie? a. Strongly Agree b. Agree c. Neutral d. Disagree e. Strongly disagree f. Unsure / Do not know
7. Please describe your answer to the previous question: *open ended
8. In your opinion, what is the overall quality of the enforcement services as provided by the City of Airdrie Municipal Enforcement Officers? Click here for more information regarding enforcement services provided. a. Very Good b. Good c. Acceptable d. Poor e. Very Poor
9. Please describe your answer to the previous question: *open ended
10. In your opinion, to what level do you agree that the services provided by the Municipal Enforcement Officers meets the needs of Airdrie? a. Strongly Agree b. Agree c. Neutral
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d. Disagree e. Strongly disagree f. Unsure / Do not know
11. Please describe your answer to the previous question: *open ended
12. In your opinion, do you agree that the Municipal Advisory Board allows for the provision of input, flexibility, autonomy, consultation and internal review processes. To review detailed information regarding the City of Airdrie’s current governance structure, please click here. a. Strongly Agree b. Agree c. Neutral d. Disagree e. Strongly disagree f. Unsure / Do not know
13. The City of Airdrie participates in a Municipal Advisory Board whose members are appointed by a resolution of City Council. How familiar are you with this governance body, its operations and its role? a. Not familiar at all b. Somewhat familiar c. Very familiar d. I have participated on this Board
14. Please describe your answer to the previous question: *open ended
15. Do you believe that the financial investment that the City of Airdrie makes with regards to the current policing model is appropriate? (Policing costs for the City of Airdrie are estimated to be $10.3M for 2019/20, not including Municipal Enforcement costs).
a. The City spends way too little on police services b. The City spends too little on police services c. The City is spending the appropriate amount on police services d. The City is spending too much on police services e. The City is spending way too much on police services f. Unsure / Do not know
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16. Please describe your answer to the previous question: *open ended
17. If the City of Airdrie was to pursue potential policing models in the future, what type of model(s) do you believe would be worth pursuing? Please pick all that apply. a. Status Quo (RCMP) b. Municipal Police Service c. Regional Model (joint police service with surrounding areas) d. Service Contract with the Calgary Police Service e. Other f. Unsure / Do not know
18. Why do you think that the policing model(s) you chose in the previous question will be the best model for the City of Airdrie? *open ended
19. Do you agree that the City should pay more for a police model that provides more governance control and flexibility in service provision? a. Strongly Agree b. Agree c. Neutral d. Disagree e. Strongly Disagree
20. Do you have any other comments for this review?
Thank you for completing this survey!
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Appendix E. City of Airdrie Townhall Flyer
,City of Airdrie Townhall
Policing Delivery Model Study
Date: Wednesday, February 19,. 2020
CD T1ime: 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Location: City Hall Counciil Chambers 9 400 Ma in Street Sout h Airdrie, AB T4 B 3C3
The City of Airdrie has engaged MNP to review all programs and pr'iorit ies delivered t llrough tile enforceme nt section of its Protect'ive Services Team (M unicipal Enforcement and RCMP) . This reviiew is in response to an objective in the City's A.iirdrieOINE Sustai na bil"ty Plan. Tile review and subsequent report are necessary to identify challenges and provid e recommendations for the City moving forward. In addit ion to a curre ntly running onli rie survey, MN P is facilitafng a community tmvn hall session to receive pu blic input into t his study. As a public stalkeholde r of t he polici ng de live ry model for the Cit y of Airdrie, MN P would like to ask you a numbe r of quest ions regarding the cu rrent policing mode l to help gain insight into t he benefits and challenges experiie nced by tile comm unity of Ai rdr1ie.,
Agenda: M NP wil l review t he results of t ile online public survey • M NP wil l be !looki ng for in put from the public on the following questions:
1. What are your concerns regarding safety in the communit y? 2. lln your opinion, what a re some of the positives of the current policing mode II (induding both Municipal Enforne me nt and RCMP)? 3. lln your opinion, wllat do you believe a re challenges of the current polic'ing mode? 4. What suggestions miight you have regarding now police services are delive red in Airdri e?
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Appendix F. City of Airdrie Crime Statistics 2013-2018
CATEGORY 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Homicides & Offences Related to Death ------1 - 1 4 - Robbery 7 17 20 9 12 25 Sexual Assaults 40 19 28 37 59 55 Other Sexual Offences 12 13 18 40 9 19 Assault 346 320 363 392 437 420 Kidnapping/Hostage/Abduction 9 7 1 10 12 6 Extortion 4 1 9 1 9 2 Criminal Harassment 220 124 153 98 124 132 Uttering Threats 150 128 136 154 169 153 Other Persons 11 7 4 13 1 4 TOTAL PERSONS 799 637 732 755 836 816 Break & Enter ------172 160 250 175 195 198 Theft of Motor Vehicle 124 109 203 184 246 276 Theft Over $5,000 30 27 39 34 40 43 Theft Under $5,000 717 810 1,233 1,082 930 844 Possession of Stolen Goods 51 137 183 97 180 232 Fraud 235 265 314 335 345 367 Arson 11 11 25 14 10 18 Mischief to Property 698 760 946 853 638 695 TOTAL PROPERTY 2,038 2,279 3,193 2,774 2,584 2,673 Offensive Weapons ------11 25 62 54 29 96 Disturbing the peace 325 401 399 278 312 376 Other Criminal Code 324 459 495 431 701 794 TOTAL OTHER CRIMINAL CODE 660 885 956 763 1,042 1,266 Drug Enforcement – Production ------8 11 5 3 10 5 Drug Enforcement – Possession 122 144 170 122 129 117 Drug Enforcement – Trafficking 42 36 83 84 65 51 Drug Enforcement – Other - 1 1 7 1 - TOTAL DRUGS 172 192 259 216 205 173 Federal – General ------39 40 39 39 39 56 TOTAL FEDERAL – General ------39 40 39 39 39 56 POLICING DELIVERY MODEL STUDY 160 220
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CATEGORY 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Liquor Act ------73 89 142 87 53 38 Other Provincial Stats 313 380 462 501 472 506 TOTAL PROVINCIAL STATS 386 469 604 588 525 544 Municipal By-laws Traffic ------56 62 53 100 110 133 Municipal By-laws 894 890 690 628 664 626 TOTAL MUNICIPAL 950 952 743 728 774 759 ------Fatals 1 1 - 3 - - Injury MVC 121 187 201 187 176 133 Property Damage MVC (Reportable) 1,069 1,081 1,035 898 1,015 1,156 Property Damage MVC (Non-Reportable) 104 123 133 112 186 167 TOTAL MVC 1,295 1,392 1,369 1,200 1,377 1,456 Provincial Traffic ------3,155 2,981 3,512 5,421 3,898 4,915 Other Traffic 44 44 51 47 67 86 Criminal Code Traffic 338 342 455 340 333 429 TOTAL TRAFFIC 3,537 3,367 4,018 5,808 4,298 5,430 COMMON POLICE ACTIVITIES False Alarms 1,015 1,155 1,103 1,135 1,016 676 False/Abandoned 911 Call and 911 Act 308 214 91 101 184 179 Suspicious Person/Vehicle/Property 590 653 799 952 1,031 1,046 Persons Reported Missing 138 136 152 184 191 214 Spousal Abuse – Survey Code 564 470 816 766 819 679 TOTAL: 12,491 12,841 14,874 16,009 14,921 15,967 % Change - 3% 16% 8% -7% 7%
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Appendix G. RCMP Satisfaction Survey 2019 Results
1. What are your thoughts on RCMP Service in Airdrie? (512 responses) a. Very Negative: 16 responses (3%) b. Negative: 59 responses (12%) c. Neutral: 142 responses (28%) d. Positive: 174 responses (34%) e. Very Positive: 121 responses (24%)
200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Very Negative Negative Neutral Positive Very Positive -
2. What suggestions do you have to improve RCMP service in Airdrie? (412 responses)
Common Themes:
• Need an increase in community policing / visibility • Increase positive public relations and communication • There is too much focus on traffic infractions, not enough on “real” crime • Property crime needs to be better dealt with • More traffic enforcement is needed • The RCMP need more staff • No changes are needed, the RCMP are doing great
3. Before this survey, were you aware that Airdrie’s current policing priorities are traffic, crime reduction and community engagement? (511 responses) a. Yes: 253 responses (49%) b. No: 258 responses (51%)
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270
260
250
240
230
220
210
200 Yes No
4. What top three priorities do you think the RCMP should focus on in 2020 (choose three)? (1632 responses) a. Traffic Safety: 191 responses (12%) b. Youth: 107 responses (7%) c. Domestic Violence: 219 responses (13%) d. Property Crime: 281 responses (17%) e. Crime Prevention: 310 responses (19%) f. Mental Health: 65 responses (4%) g. Community Engagement: 123 responses (8%) h. Organized Crime: 108 responses (7%) i. Financial Crime: 16 responses (1%) j. Drugs: 193 responses (12%) k. Other: 19 responses (1%)
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
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Appendix H. Online Public Survey Results
1. Are you a current resident of the City of Airdrie? (798 responses) a. Yes: 788 responses (99%) b. No: 10 responses (1%)
100.00% 90.00% 80.00% 70.00% 60.00% 50.00% 40.00% 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 0.00% Yes No
2. Have you, or your organization, received policing services provided from the RCMP in the past two years? (794 responses) a. Yes, I have received services from the RCMP in the past two years: 328 responses (41%) b. No, I have not received services from the RCMP in the past two years: 466 responses (59%)
70.00% 60.00% 50.00% 40.00% 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 0.00% Yes, I have received services from the RCMP No, I have not received services from the in the past two years RCMP in the past two years
3. Have you, or your organization, received enforcement services provided from the City of Airdrie’s Municipal Enforcement Officers in the past two years? (794 responses) a. Yes, I have received enforcement services from the Municipal Enforcement Officers in the past two years: 196 responses (25%) b. No, I have not received enforcement services from the Municipal Enforcement Officers in the past two years: 598 responses (75%)
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80.00% 70.00% 60.00% 50.00% 40.00% 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 0.00% Yes, I have received enforcement services No, I have not received enforcement from the Municipal Enforcement Officers in services from the Municipal Enforcement the past two years Officers in the past two years
4. In your opinion, what is the quality of the policing services as provided by the RCMP. (674 responses) a. Very Good: 143 responses (21%) b. Good: 186 responses (28%) c. Acceptable: 207 responses (31%) d. Poor: 100 responses (15%) e. Very Poor: 36 responses (5%)
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0% Very Good Good Acceptable Poor Very Poor
5. Please describe your answer to the previous question:
Common Themes:
• Slow response times versus fast response times • Professional and helpful • Uncaring, Disorganized, • Lack of positive personal interaction / community orientation
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• Access to services that would be expensive to do as a municipal force • Not enough visibility, need more presence (especially at night) • Not enough resources • Need more focus on property theft • Drastic increase in crime • Reactive not proactive • Speeding / traffic enforcement issues
6. In your opinion, to what level do you agree that the police services as provided by the RCMP meet the needs of Airdrie? (671 responses) a. Strongly Agree: 79 responses (12%) b. Agree: 216 responses (32%) c. Neutral: 169 responses (25%) d. Disagree: 120 responses (18%) e. Strongly Disagree: 65 responses (10%) f. Unsure / Do Not Know: 21 responses (3%)
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0% Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Unsure/Do not disagree know
7. Please describe your answer to the previous question:
See Common Themes in question five (5).
8. In your opinion, what is the overall quality of the enforcement services as provided by the City of Airdrie Municipal Enforcement Officers? (578 responses) a. Very Good: 54 responses (9%) b. Good: 165 responses (29%) c. Acceptable: 174 responses (30%)
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d. Poor: 130 responses (22%) e. Very Poor: 54 responses (9%)
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0% Very Good Good Acceptable Poor Very Poor
9. Please describe your answer to the previous question:
Common Themes:
• Need to enforce bylaws better • Unnecessary service compared to RCMP (redundant) • Need more resources/longer hours • Quick response times • Strong community interaction/caring and friendly/visible and responsive • Poor response times • Rude / unprofessional / inconsistent • More patrols needed
10. In your opinion, to what level do you agree that the services provided by the Municipal Enforcement Officers meets the needs of Airdrie? (579 responses) a. Strongly Agree: 39 responses (7%) b. Agree: 158 responses (27%) c. Neutral: 173 responses (30%) d. Disagree: 111 responses (19%) e. Strongly Disagree: 73 responses (13%) f. Unsure / Do Not Know: 25 responses (4%)
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35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0% Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Unsure/Do not disagree know
11. Please describe your answer to the previous question:
See Common Themes in question nine (9).
12. In your opinion, do you agree that the Municipal Advisory Board allows for the provision of input, flexibility, autonomy, consultation and internal review processes. (525 responses) a. Strongly Agree: 25 responses (5%) b. Agree: 73 responses (14%) c. Neutral: 190 responses (36%) d. Disagree: 42 responses (8%) e. Strongly Disagree: 22 responses (4%) f. Unsure / Do Not Know: 173 responses (33%)
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0% Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Unsure/Do not Disagree know
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13. The City of Airdrie participates in a Municipal Advisory Board whose members are appointed by a resolution of City Council. How familiar are you with this governance body, its operations and its role? (525 responses) a. Not Familiar at All: 384 responses (73%) b. Somewhat Familiar: 116 responses (22%) c. Very Familiar: 18 responses (3%) d. I have participated on this Board: 7 responses (1%)
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0% Not familiar at all Somewhat familiar Very familiar I have participated on this Board
14. Please describe your answer to the previous question:
No additional comments of note made regarding the previous question.
15. Do you believe that the financial investment that the City of Airdrie makes with regards to the current policing model is appropriate? (Policing costs for the City of Airdrie are estimated to be $10.3M for 2019/20, not including Municipal Enforcement costs). (518 responses) a. The City spends way too little on police services: 52 responses (10%) b. The City spends too little on police services: 134 responses (26%) c. The City is spending the appropriate amount on police services: 135 responses (26%) d. The City is spending too much on police services: 44 responses (8%) e. The City is spending way too much on police services: 41 responses (8%) f. Unsure / Do not know: 110 responses (21%)
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30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0% Way Too Little Too Little Appropriate Too Much Way Too Much Unsure/Do not Amount know
16. Please describe your answer to the previous question:
Common Themes:
• Require 24/7 policing • Redundancy and fiscal waste between Sheriffs, RCMP and MEs • Need more police resources • Need more value for money • More investment needs to be directed at community growth, prevention, communication, awareness, and cohesion
17. If the City of Airdrie was to pursue potential policing models in the future, what type of model(s) do you believe would be worth pursuing? Please pick all that apply. (490 responses) a. Status Quo (RCMP): 197 responses (40%) b. Municipal Police Service: 151 responses (31%) c. Regional Model (joint police service with surrounding areas): 95 responses (19%) d. Service Contract with the Calgary Police Service: 97 responses (20%) e. Other: 38 responses (8%) f. Unsure / Do not know: 78 responses (16%)
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45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0% Status Quo Municipal Regional Model Calgary Police Unsure/Do not Other (RCMP) Police Service Service know
18. Why do you think that the policing model(s) you chose in the previous question will be the best model for the City of Airdrie? Status Quo (RCMP) Municipal Police Service • Living in community so vested interest • RCMP have gotten complacent • Strong work ethic • Police within the community • Highly trained • Greater autonomy, control and flexibility • Less costly option • City too large for RCMP • More respected than local police would be • Greater community focus / investment in • Continuity the community • Works currently, doesn’t need changing • Better understanding of local issues
Regional Model Service Contract with CPS • Allows for better communication and • Proximity resource use • Strong resources • Collaboration with surrounding • Easy transition communities • Better coverage • Perceived faster response times • Cost effective option • Common concerns / issues can be dealt with effectively
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19. Do you agree that the City should pay more for a police model that provides more governance control and flexibility in service provision? (485 responses) a. Strongly Agree: 62 responses (13%) b. Agree: 161 responses (33%) c. Neutral: 173 responses (36%) d. Disagree: 65 responses (13%) e. Strongly Disagree: 22 responses (5%)
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0% Strongly agree Agree Neither agree nor Disagree Strongly disagree disagree
20. Do you have any other comments for this review? Common themes from previous responses have been reiterated in the respondents’ answers to this question.
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Appendix I. List of CPS Services
General Council Legal Section Access & Privacy Section Executive Officer Strategy Communications Digital Services Unit Section Public Affairs/Media Relations Unit Web governance Finance Division Budget Reporting & - Processing Section Finance Payroll Section - Strategic Services Division Business Strategy & Research - Section Library Section - Operations Audit Section - Policy Development Section - Crime & Intelligence Bureau of Investigative Support Analytical Unit Analytical Section Bureau of Operations Analytical Unit Centralized Analytical Unit Real Time Operations Division Analytical Unit Psychological Services - - Division Ethics & Accountability Professional Standards Intake Team Division Section Investigative Team Information Management Information Technology IT Security & Technology Division IT Service Centre
Systems Development & Support Technical Services Telecoms Vendor Relations Police Business Operations Field Data Unit Section • Alarm Bylaw • Correspondence • Ticket Control CPIC
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Police Information Check Unit Records Processing Unit Records & Evidence Court & Disclosure Unit Management Section • Digital Evidence (BWC/ICDV) Evidence & Property Unit Records & Information Management • Compliance Unit • Image Management Unit • Records Storage Unit Integrated Information Architecture Management Business Excellence Team
Projects • Sentry Project Management Office Employee Services Chief Crowfoot Learning Academic Training Unit Division Centre Field Training Unit
Learning Development Unit Officer Safety & Tactics Training Unit Employee Wellness Section Chaplains Fitness Unit Health Management Team Peer Support Safety Advisor Team Wellness Integrated HR Services Recruitment, Promotions, Competitions Unit Section HR Security Services Unit
HR Transactions & Staffing Support Unit HR Consulting Services Unit Workforce Planning Section Planning & Analytics Diversity & Inclusion Special Events HR Business Analytics HR Projects
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Infrastructure Services Capital Assets & - Division Development Driver Safety & Compliance - Security & Building Safety - Client Services Building Operations Building Services Fleet Section Acquisition & Set Up Unit Districts Fleet Services Unit Westwinds Fleet Services Unit Criminal Investigations Investigative Support Section Criminal Identification Unit Division • Criminal History Team o Photo Lineup Team • Forensic Firearms & Toolmark Lab Team • Latent Fingerprint Team (AFIS) o DNA Team • Forensic Crime Scene Unit • Photographic Team Major Crimes Section Guns & Gangs Unit Homicide Unit • Cold Case Team • Missing Persons Team Specialized Investigations Behavioural Sciences Unit Section • Polygraph Team • SORCA • ViCLAS Child Abuse Unit • Alberta Vulnerable Infant Response Team (AVIRT) • Child at Risk Response Team (CARRT) • Prenatal Outreach Support Team (POST) Sex Crimes Unit • Cold Case Team Criminal Operations Criminal Networks Section Anti-Corruption Unit Technical Support Division
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Criminal Intelligence Unit • Calgary Airport Intelligence Team • Integrated National Security Enforcement Team Intelligence Support Unit • Crimestoppers • Probe Team • Source Development Team • Witness & Source Protection Priority Crimes Unit • Priority Crime Teams Technical Operations Section Cyber/Forensics Unit • Cybercrime Investigations Team • Cybercrime Support Team • Digital Forensics Team Economic Crimes Unit • Bank Robbery Team • Civil Forfeiture • Financial Crimes Investigation Team Technical Investigations Unit • Auto Crime Resource Team • Arson Team • Electronic Surveillance Team • Privacy Act Team Alberta Law Enforcement - Response Team Patrol Operations Division Patrol Districts 1-8 District 1 • Hotel/Motel Team • Marine Unit • Mountain Bike Unit • Public Safety Compliance Team Patrol Support Team Traffic Section Airport Unit Alcohol/Drug Recognition Expert Unit Collision Reconstruction Unit Specialized Traffic Enforcement Unit
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Traffic Response Unit Real Time Operations Investigative Operations District Support Unit Division / Strategic Section • Break & Enter Teams Intelligence Group • District Operations Team Strike Force Unit Strategic Enforcement Unit • Alberta Gaming & Liquor Control Investigator • Drug Expert • Drug Undercover Street Team • Gang Enforcement Tam • Gang Suppression Team Real Time Operations Centre Duty Inspectors
Patrol Response Team Strategic Intelligence Unit Major Emergency Event Public Safety Unit Management Section
Emergency Management Unit Operational Planning Unit • Special Event Security Team Support Section Air Support Unit
Canine Unit Crisis Negotiation Unit Mounted Unit Tactical Unit Integrated Partnership Community & Youth Services Community Services Unit Division Section • Crime Prevention Team • Diversity Resource Team • Victim Assistance Support Team • Volunteer Resource Team • Vulnerable Persons Team Youth Education Unit
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• School Resource Officer Teams Youth Intervention & Mentorship Unit • Multi Agency School Support Team (MASST) • Youth at Risk Development (YARD) • Youth Mentorship Team Community Support Section Counter Exploitation Unit Domestic Conflict Unit • Domestic Conflict Response Team (DCRT) • Domestic Violence Team (DVT) • Domestic Violence Risk Assessment Team (DVRAT) • Elder Abuse Response Team (EART) • Emergency Protection Order Team (EPO) • Habitual Offender Management & Enforcement Team (HOME) Prolific Offender Engagement Team Specialized Offender Unit • Fugitive Apprehension • High Risk Offender Program (HROP) • Organized Retail Crime • Priority Prolific Offender Program (PPOP) • Serious Habitual Offender Program (SHOP) Arrest Processing Section Safe Communities Opportunity Resource Centre (SORCe) Drug Treatment Court
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Appendix J. RFP Questions
The City asked several questions at the beginning of this project. The following are answers to those questions. Some data and background were gleaned from this project and other information included herein has been collected over multiple projects and is the opinion of the author.
1. Is there a point where the City of Airdrie would outgrow having an RCMP detachment? o Kind of. Although the RCMP tend to police rural areas and is organized to do so, there is nothing within their structure that makes them inherently unsuited to policing a City or urban environment. Most often, larger cities have created municipal police services because they have the population and budget critical mass to create an organization large and robust enough to manage the required services internally. The location of that tipping point depends on multiple factors e.g., satisfaction with service, degree of ‘control’ a city is prepared to forgo in lieu of 10% federal portion, high start-up costs to switch over, etc. So, although Airdrie might not technically outgrow the RCMP per se, they could grow to a size where they have the population and budget to choose to provide policing services otherwise. 2. Do the City of Airdrie’s priorities begin to conflict with RCMP national and divisional policies? o Multiple projects across Canada that include numerous consultations with both cities and provinces that are contract partners of the RCMP have indicated that that yes there are, at times, conflicting priorities. o However, Article 6 of the MPSA (Management of the Municipal Police Service) includes that the CEO may set the objectives, priorities and goals for the service received. Article 7 goes on to state that the OIC of the detachment acts under the direction of the CEO. This is an area of the agreements that is often underleveraged. The agreements do not state that a contract partner’s priorities need to align with RCMP National priorities (e.g., terrorism, organized crime, etc.). Most often, municipalities utilize relationship-based mechanisms for managing the MPSA. When relationships are good, the system works well, less so when relationships are not as good. Process-based working relationships that utilize structure and the articles of the MPSA take out the relationship element and tend to provide more stability regarding of the Officer in Charge of the day. ▪ These issues are less clear in the perception of what items are “operational” and which are strategic. It is sometimes a perception of municipalities that the RCMP default too many issues to being operational and therefore, under RCMP purview, while in contract, the RCMP perceive contract partners to sometimes get into operational elements too quickly. 3. Does the RCMP have the ability to keep pace with technology both in investigations and in equipment? o There are instances where the RCMP have been seen to have been slow to adapt and adopt new technology and work processes. The most recent example is the RCMP’s approval of an online crime reporting mechanism, something most police services have employed for years. Similar process and technology adaptations such as electronic disclosure packages went through the same process. Although different in ways, carbine rifles are also associated with the same lag in adoption. Anecdotally, the lag is attributed to the onerous and bureaucratic process of approvals and signoffs required in a large organization that covers multiple jurisdictions. Many smaller
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police services have adopted these processes much quicker, most likely because their decision- making processes are closer to the ground and localized. o The RCMP are viewed as leaders in investigations, receiving significant training, ongoing training and focus in this regard. Evidence and crime scene processing is viewed as top notch and other police services utilize RCMP labs and related services as a result. o The RCMP are not utilizing business intelligence to inform proactive and predictive activities. However, no police service is doing this well. The current structure of police services, RCMP or otherwise, was designed to respond to calls for service as quickly as possible. Using data to police more proactively, will be a key to the future of policing. 4. How can a national policing model meet the needs and priorities for Airdrie as a City that has its own unique culture and characteristics that make it “The Place to Be” in Canada? o As with question 2, contract partners of the RCMP often express concern regarding the multiple masters or priorities that the RCMP has. In turn, how can such an organization then dedicate its attention to a city like Airdrie to make it the place to be in Canada. o It can be done though if Airdrie exercises it rights and authorities under the MPSA (articles 6 & 7). It is common that municipalities perceive the OIC and the RCMP to have control in these situations, but there is a mechanism within the MPSA to balance the relationship. That doesn’t mean it is easy or readily accepted, just that the contract in is the municipalities favour in this regard. 5. Is the City of Airdrie prepared, for the current and future policing environment? o There are components often cited as key to the future of policing. These include: ▪ That it isn’t about policing alone, it is about community safety and well-being. The police are a key part, but not the only part of community safety. It will require collaboration and selfless teamwork between governments, organizations, agencies and the community to achieve the collective impact necessary. ▪ That this requires the recognition that the roots of social disorder and related crime are understood. Understanding the types of crime and social disorder that occur in a community are imperative to the response and composition of a community’s response team. The proactive services and response and to these types of crime need to be led by the appropriate resource(s). ▪ That data and its use to better understand crime and take proactive measures to counter it are imperative. o Therefore, Airdrie has some of the key components of those elements in place today. ▪ Municipal enforcement officers provide key services to the City that allow sworn officers to focus their time on more serious crime ▪ The domestic violence action team, mental health task force and community liaison officers are examples of collaborative initiatives focused on utilizing the appropriate response to social disorder calls for service o However, these examples, as good as they are, are only small examples of what is likely required to effect real change 6. Do municipalities with different policing delivery models get different value for their investments?
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o The value communities receive from their investment in policing is based on perspective. Some larger cities have police services costing more than $400 per capita, yet some small municipalities pay nothing for their police services, depending on the province. The expectations from those services should likely be different – but are often not. o $400 per capita, it could be argued, results in a better trained, better resources and better equipped police service, which on the surface is likely true. However, in many cases, these large robust and well-equipped police services are not responding to several call types that the typical citizen likely prioritizes highly including house alarms, property crimes including theft and theft from a vehicle, break and enters etc. Although these police services are large, well-trained and well-equipped, they do not have the time to prioritize what many citizens believe to be priorities. Compare this to the smaller municipality where officers are likely not as numerous or have access to the same amenities, but likely respond to every call for service within the community. o Working with a variety of police services and policing models has demonstrated that the leading indicator of providing value to a community is how strategically leadership deploys the resources they have, not the policing model itself. 7. With constant change at the Provincial and Federal level, does the current police service model perform at a high level and does it provide high-level value for money? o Statistical analysis and survey results show that the current police model performs relative to its peers – at least statistically, and does so at a relatively low cost per capita o In general, the RCMP are designed to provide good value for money. They operate with regionalized speciality and administrative services to mitigate costs and provide those services for communities that could otherwise not likely provide them affordably. In most cases, inefficiencies in, or frustrations with elements of the system that might exist are not outweighed by the benefits the community gets from having access to the service. o The perception of value for money begins to shift as municipalities grow and become able to provide some of those services themselves. As they do so, they typically want more control over those services or want more robust services, and they seem less valuable in comparison. 8. How does the City of Airdrie’s policing model compare with other police agencies from key performance indicators such as clearance rates and calls for service? o Based upon the analysis of data utilized for this report, Airdrie’s current policing model is comparative to other police agencies – particularly when compared in terms of CSI. ▪ Clearance rates were commensurate with the benchmark RCMP services – 29.99 compared to an average of 36.35 for benchmark services. RCMP clearance rates in general were lower than municipal police service clearance rates ▪ Incidents per officer Call for service per officer were slightly lower than average compared to RCMP detachment comparators – 71 compared to 93; however, the average municipal benchmark comparator had approximately 48 incidents per officer. RCMP incidents per officer were almost twice that of the benchmark municipal services.
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REFERENCES
1 RCMP. (2012). Municipality of Airdrie – Municipal Police Service Agreement.
2 City of Airdrie. (n.d.). Municipal Enforcement. Retrieved from https://www.airdrie.ca/index.cfm?serviceID=19
3 City of Airdrie. (n.d.). Municipal Enforcement. Retrieved from https://www.airdrie.ca/index.cfm?serviceID=19
4 Airdrie Today. (2016). Local News. Airdrie’s Peace Officers do more than enforce bylaws. Retrieved from https://www.airdrietoday.com/local-news/airdries-peace-officers-do-more-than-enforce-bylaws-1416515
5 Government of Alberta Solicitor General and Public Security. (2012). Public Security Peace Officer Program. Policy and Procedures Manual. Retrieved from https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/59932ac3-cb4d-4b5b-a040-e143c34f6ca7/resource/ 3872c55f-a338-4366-a7e4-ca077b1869bc/download/public-security-peace-officer-program-policy-and-procedure-manual.pdf
6 RCMP. (2012). Municipality of Airdrie – Municipal Police Service Agreement.
7 City of Airdrie. (2018-19). Various Job Descriptions / Job Profiles for RCMP Detachment Support Staff.
8 Province of Alberta. (2019.) Police Act. Revised Statutes of Alberta 2000, Chapter P-17. Retrieved from http://www.qp. alberta.ca/documents/Acts/P17.pdf
9 Government of Alberta. (2019). Policing in Alberta. Policing oversight. Retrieved from https://www.alberta.ca/ policing-in- alberta.aspx
10 Alberta Justice and Solicitor General. (2019). Bulletin Re: AFRRCS and Communication with RCMP Detachments.
11 Statistics Canada. (2019). Police resources in Canada, 2018. Retrieved from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002- x/2019001/article/00015-eng.htm
12 Statistics Canada. (2019). Police personnel and selected crime statistics, municipal police services. Retrieved from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3510007701&pickMembers%5B0%5D=1.592
13 Statistics Canada. (2019). Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, police services in Alberta, BC, Nova Scotia. Retrieved from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3510018301&pickMembers%5B0%5D=1.11&pick Members%5B1%5D=2.1
14 Public Safety Canada. (2011). The Civilianization of Police in Canada. Retrieved from https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca /cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2015-r042/index-en.aspx
15 Government of Alberta. (2019). Policing in Alberta. Policing oversight. Retrieved from https://www.alberta.ca/ policing-in- alberta.aspx
16 City of Pitt Meadows. (2020). RCMP Service & Structure Review. Retrieved from https://www.pittmeadows.ca/sites/default /files/docs/city-services/Police/rcmp_services_structure_review_bound_copy.pdf
17 Michelin, L. (2019). Starting a municipal force would cost taxpayers more, but give City of Red Deer more control. Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved from https://www.reddeeradvocate.com/news/starting-a-municipal-police-force-would-cost-taxpayers- more-but-give-city-of-red-deer-more-control/
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18 Michelin, L. (2019). Starting a municipal force would cost taxpayers more, but give City of Red Deer more control. Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved from https://www.reddeeradvocate.com/news/starting-a-municipal-police-force-would-cost-taxpayers- more-but-give-city-of-red-deer-more-control/
19 Michelin, L. (2019). Starting a municipal force would cost taxpayers more, but give City of Red Deer more control. Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved from https://www.reddeeradvocate.com/news/starting-a-municipal-police-force-would-cost-taxpayers- more-but-give-city-of-red-deer-more-control/
20 Ontario Provincial Police. (2019). 2020 OPP Municipal Policing Billing General Information. Retrieved from https:// www.opp.ca/index.php?id=115&entryid=5dd2cef3241f6e690c396783
21 Ontario Provincial Police. (2019). 2020 Calls for Service Estimate Form. Retrieved from https://www.opp.ca/index. php?id=115&lng=en&entryid=56b7d1618f94acaf5c28d17e
22 Ontario Provincial Police. (2019). 2020 Billing Statement Example. Retrieved from https://www.opp.ca/index.php? id=115&entryid=5dd5a591241f6e44c922aaf3
23 Calgary Metropolitan Region Board. (2020). About. Retrieved from www.calgarymetroregion.ca
24 Calgary Police Service. (2018). Organizational Chart. Retrieved from https://www.calgary.ca/cps/Documents/CPS- organizational-chart.pdf
25 Calgary Police Commission. (2019). 2019 Calgary Police Service Employee Survey. Retrieved from https://www. calgarypolicecommission.ca/doc/Employee-survey2019.pdf
26 Calgary Police Service. (2019). 2019 Citizen Perception Summary. How Calgarians Feel About Safety. Retrieved from https://www.calgarypolicecommission.ca/doc/Citizen-perception-graphic.pdf
27 Calgary Police Commission. (2020). Calgary Police Commission – Mission. Retrieved from https://www.calgarypolice commission.ca/
28 Calgary Police Commission. (2020). Calgary Police Commission – Responsibilities of the Police Commission. Retrieved from https://www.calgarypolicecommission.ca/
29 Calgary Police Service. (2019). Calgary Police Compensation Disclosure 2015-2019. Retrieved from https://www. calgary.ca/cps/Pages/Business-reports/Calgary-Police-Compensation-Disclosure.aspx
30 Calgary Police Service. (2019). Calgary Police Compensation Disclosure 2015-2019. Retrieved from https://www. calgary.ca/cps/Pages/Business-reports/Calgary-Police-Compensation-Disclosure.aspx
31 Calgary Police Service. (2019). Calgary Police Compensation Disclosure 2015-2019. Retrieved from https://www. calgary.ca/cps/Pages/Business-reports/Calgary-Police-Compensation-Disclosure.aspx
32 Tunney, C. (2020). CBC News. New RCMP union hopes to start salary bargaining by mid-March. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/rcmp-union-bargaining-march-1.5416128
33 The Repository. (2020). Top 100+ Police Salaries in Canada. Retrieved from https://therepository.ca/top-100
34 The Repository. (2020). Top 100+ Police Salaries in Canada. Retrieved from https://therepository.ca/top-100
35 Statistics Canada. (2018). Police resources in Canada, 2018. Retrieved from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002- x/2019001/article/00015-eng.htm
36 Calgary Police Service. (2019). Calgary Police Compensation Disclosure 2015-2019. Retrieved from https://www. calgary.ca/cps/Pages/Business-reports/Calgary-Police-Compensation-Disclosure.aspx
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Choose an item– AGENDA REPORT
Meeting Date: 22 October 2020
Subject: Traffic Safety Plan 2021-2023
Boards Routed Through: N/A
Date: N/A
Issue:
Municipal Police Advisory Board is being provided with an overview of the Traffic Safety Plan 2021-2023 for information.
Background:
The City of Airdrie’s last Traffic Safety Plan was created in 2017. The 2021 to 2023 Traffic Safety Enforcement Plan is a revised model of the traffic operations for the City of Airdrie. The purpose of the Plan is to document analyzed data, prioritize initiatives, and improve traffic safety in accordance with the requirements of the employers of Community Peace Officers, outlined in the Public Security Peace Officer Program - Policy & Procedures Manual.
This Traffic Safety Plan supports Alberta’s traffic safety strategies for coordinated, collaborative, and community based delivery of traffic safety programs, initiatives, and communications.
Vision: No one is seriously injured or killed while travelling on any road network within the City of Airdrie. .
Mission Statement
The mission of the Airdrie RCMP and Airdrie Municipal Enforcement is to keep the peace, promote traffic safety, provide protection, promote public safety, and deliver quality service with integrity, while responding to the needs of our residents.
The City of Airdrie is committed to the proactive implementation of integrated, evidence- based, and collaborative road safety strategies to create an increasingly safe and sustainable transportation network.
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Introduction
Airdrie is a young and vibrant community of opportunity located 20 km north of Calgary and is adjacent to Rocky View County. It encompasses an area of approximately 84.57 km². Through the years, the City of Airdrie has established itself as the “place to be”, experiencing a rapid growth in both its residential and commercial/industrial sectors. With its population growing from 39,822 in 2010 to 70,563 in 2020, Airdrie has come to be the 5th largest city in Alberta.
The City boasts a mix of industry, commerce and community living. The local business community boasts everything from restaurants and manufacturing to clothing and retail. Airdrie provides a wide variety of residential housing subdivisions. These areas are connected by walking trails and pathways in close proximity to parks and schools. There is also a 24 hour urgent care centre operating within the community.
The City of Airdrie has approximately 655 km of roads and 140 km of pathways. It also features 1500 acres of green space parks, 36 sport fields (18 mini fields), 23 ball diamonds, and 4 off leash dog parks. There are currently 28 schools within Airdrie.
Highway 2 runs north/south through Airdrie, and divides the city into an east and west side. East Lake Boulevard, Main Street, 8th Street, and 24 Street are the major north/south routes in Airdrie. Yankee Valley Boulevard and Veterans Boulevard are the major routes that run west/east. Overpasses crossing Highway 2 at Yankee Valley Boulevard, and Veterans Boulevard facilitate east/west travel within the city.
The west side of Airdrie is the main central business core and contains many large residential communities. The east side also contains many residential communities but has a large percentage of industrial/commercial development. The majority of Airdrie’s residential communities have a speed limit of 30km/hr.
RCMP Operational Profile
Traffic enforcement is currently performed by members while on shift. The watches consist of 10 members, 1 corporal, and 1 sergeant who respond to calls for service on a 24/7 basis. Traffic stops are also a part of their general duties. The Municipal Traffic Unit consists of one member dedicated to the coordination and execution of traffic operation plans, including joint operations with Municipal Enforcement. That member also enforces Criminal Code offences and Provincial Legislation related to traffic safety.
Integrated Traffic Unit
The City of Airdrie also has an Integrated Traffic Unit (ITU), consisting of both RCMP members and Alberta Sheriffs. Although ITU mainly concentrates on Provincial roadways, they also conduct enforcement within city limits and are a valuable asset to the City of Airdrie.
Enhanced Road Safety Initiative: Safe City Roads
The City of Airdrie’s enhanced road safety initiative consists of additional members who work overtime shifts conducting traffic enforcement. The main objective of this program is to
245 increase road safety through visibility and enforcement, focusing on the traffic safety priorities established annually by the City of Airdrie.
Municipal Enforcement Operational Profile
The City of Airdrie’s Municipal Enforcement Team (ME) is comprised of ten Community Peace Officers (CPO), a Coordinator, and a Team Leader. Supporting the officers are 3.5 administration staff, and a Chief Licensing Officer. Currently the ME team has nine CPO I and two CPO II officers, with only CPO I officers having the authority to enforce moving traffic violations.
The CPOs fulfill several important roles within the community. They enforce City bylaws, provide community education, and collaborate with and provide assistance to internal and external departments and agencies. Beyond municipal bylaws, CPOs have the authority to enforce numerous Provincial statutes including:
Animal Protection Act Dangerous Dog Act Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, Part 9, Division 2 Gaming and Liquor and Cannabis Act (restricted to 83,84,87,89,107,108, and Section 115 subject to Section 53 of the Police Act) Petty Trespass Act Provincial Offences Procedures Act Trespass to Premises Act Tobacco and Smoking Reduction Act Traffic Safety Act
The regular hours of operation for the City of Airdrie’s ME team are 0630 to 2100 hours daily. These hours change slightly for the winter months.
Traffic Safety Strategies
The Airdrie RCMP and Municipal Enforcement have identified traffic safety as a priority by using the 2015 Alberta Traffic Safety Plan and the Alberta Traffic Safety Calendars. This approach includes a focus on the safety of motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians on our roadways.
The following five initiatives support this priority:
1) Identifying high collision intersections:
a) Pilot signage at high collision intersections. b) Continue to monitor the Province’s position on Automatic Traffic Enforcement.
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2) Continued visibility and presence around school zones:
a) Pedestrian safety b) Illegal parking c) Speeding d) Distracted driving
3) Identifying and removing impaired drivers from our roadways:
a) This is a function of the RCMP. b) Check stops take place regularly throughout the year. c) Mandatory Alcohol Screening as a tool to detect impaired drivers.
4) Education:
a) Work with Corporate Communications to ensure monthly road safety messages are released to the community.
1) Alberta Traffic Safety Calendar 2) Mochas with Mounties 3) Safe City Roads Program
5) Noise and Vehicular Modifications:
a) Research tools available b) Coordinate and reach out to other municipalities to find a solution.
Data Analysis
Traffic Collision 2019
250 200 150 100 50 0 I 1111111111
• 2013 • 2019
Due to the City of Airdrie’s population growth (to just under 70,000 residents by 2019), there has been more traffic present on our roads. The number of reportable collisions within the city went from 1104 in 2013, to 1374 in 2019. This represents an increase in motor vehicle
247 collisions of approximately 23% during this time. With a population increase of just over 40% during this same period, a 23% increase in collisions is not considered significant.
Total Number of Collisions By Year 2000 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 • Total Collions • Total Injury • Fatalities
Non-injury collisions have a retention period of 2 years, therefore the numbers do not accurately reflect the total number of collisions prior to April 30, 2018.
Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle
Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle is encompassed both by Provincial Legislation and Criminal Code, which have a retention period between 2 - 8 years depending on the occurrence type. Therefore, Provincial occurrences are not accurately reflected prior to April 30, 2018. Criminal Code occurrences that had a retention period of 5 years are not accurately reflected prior to April 30, 2015.
Dangerous Operations of a Motor Vehicle 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
• Dangerous Operation MVC • Flight from PO
Over the years, the City has seen a significant increase in Dangerous Operation of a motor vehicle and flight from a Peace Officer. This increase may be attributed to a combination of
248 many factors including different coding practices, the surge in population, or the rise in dangerous driving events coming from Calgary. High Collision Locations
MVC 2019 40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0 Number of Collisions
• YVB @Sierra Springs Dr • YVB@Market Street • YVK @Kingsview • Main St@Veterans • YVB@Main St • YVB@ Hwy 2 • 8th @ YVB
In late 2019, the Alberta government announced that any new automated traffic programs would not be permitted until a thorough review of existing programs is completed. This review is estimated to be finalized within the next two years. As a result, the City of Airdrie can no longer pursue the use of red light cameras as part of our overall traffic management strategies towards safer roads and collision reduction.
In an effort to address high collision locations, the Traffic Advisory Committee agreed to put temporary signage up at known high-risk locations. The first sign at YVB and Hwy 2 was put up early in March of 2020. Immediately after this sign was in place, the 2020 pandemic began, changing traffic patterns significantly. Many signs were also re-deployed for community COVID-19 messaging.
Moving forward, staff will again use this strategy to educate and bring awareness to high collision intersections.
It is recognized that driver education and awareness are important components of traffic safety enforcement. Our active cooperation with local media is paramount to the success of traffic initiatives such as school zone patrols, distracted driving awareness, and seat belt violations.
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Alberta Traffic Safety Plan Implementation of Priorities
Continuous Actions Proactive and ongoing enforcement strategies focused on traffic safety calendar topics:
Key Actions Traffic Safety Priorities 2021 2022 2023 Intersection Safety Education campaign Education campaign to Education campaign to to make drivers aware make drivers aware of make drivers aware of of intersection safety intersection safety intersection safety issues issues issues Enforcement blitz Enforcement blitz Enforcement blitz (Feb/Mar) (Feb/Mar) (Feb/Mar) Traffic Safety Campaign RCMP Checkstops RCMP Checkstops RCMP Checkstops Checkstops in Checkstops in October Checkstops in October October Annual national RCMP Annual national Annual national education campaign to RCMP education RCMP education make drivers aware of campaign to make campaign to make traffic safety drivers aware of traffic drivers aware of traffic safety safety Speed Management Continuous education Continuous education Continuous education Random months Random months Random months targeting high volume targeting high volume targeting high volume traffic areas traffic areas traffic areas Joint enforcement by Joint enforcement by Joint enforcement by Municipal Municipal Municipal Enforcement and Enforcement and Enforcement and RCMP RCMP RCMP Young Drivers Campaign related to Campaign related to Campaign related to young drivers’ issues young drivers’ issues young drivers’ issues Promote safety in Promote safety in Promote safety in May May May Commercial/Passenger Random months Random months Random months Vehicle Safety targeting high volume targeting high volume targeting high volume traffic areas traffic areas traffic areas Joint traffic Joint traffic Joint traffic Checkstops in Sept Checkstops in Sept Checkstops in Sept with with Municipal with Municipal Municipal Enforcement Enforcement and Enforcement and other and other agencies agencies other agencies Motorcycle Safety Education campaigns Education campaigns Education campaigns to to make drivers aware to make drivers make drivers of motorcycles and to
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educate motorcyclists aware of motorcycles aware of motorcycles of their responsibilities and to educate and to educate on the road motorcyclists of their motorcyclists of their responsibilities on the responsibilities on the road road Promote safety in May Promote safety in Promote safety in May May RCMP RCMP RCMP Impaired Driving Random months Random months Random months (alcohol, drugs, distracted) Checkstops in Checkstops in Checkstops in December and December and December and January January January School Ground Patrols Education campaign Education campaign Education campaign related to related to related to consequences consequences of consequences of speed of speed and illegal speed and illegal traffic and illegal traffic traffic movement in movement in school movement in school school zones zones zones Enforcement blitz Enforcement blitz Enforcement blitz (Sept/Oct) (Sept/Oct) (Sept/Oct) Pedestrian Safety Education campaign Education campaign to Education campaign to to make drivers aware make drivers make drivers of intersection safety aware of intersection aware of intersection issues safety issues safety issues Promote pedestrian Promote pedestrian Promote pedestrian safety in June/July safety in June/July safety in June/July
Summary
The 2021-2023 Traffic Safety Plan is a dynamic, safety-focused, and community-centric model of traffic operations for the City of Airdrie. The overall success of this plan is dependent upon the coordinated efforts of the Airdrie RCMP and Airdrie Municipal Enforcement members.
Alignment with South Saskatchewan Regional Plan and AirdrieONE:
N/A
Boards Routed Through:
N/A
Alternatives/Implications:
N/A
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Communications Plan:
Corporate Communications will develop a communications strategy to promote traffic safety.
Recommendation:
That MPAB accepts the report “Traffic Safety Plan 2021-2023” for information.
______Lynn Mackenzie Municipal Enforcement Team Leader Cst Tracy Hare Traffic Unit, Airdrie RCMP
Presenter: Lynn Mackenzie and Tracy Hare Department: Municipal Enforcement and RCMP Reviewed by: Kevin Weinberger and Mark Locking Attachments: N/A Appointment: N/A
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Choose an item – AGENDA REPORT
Meeting Date: 22 October 2020
Subject: Amendments to the Public Conveyance and Vehicle for Hire Bylaw
Boards Routed Through: N/A
Date: 16 October 2020
Issue:
Municipal Enforcement is looking for support to modernize the existing Public Conveyance and Vehicle for Hire Bylaw. In the ever-evolving field of public transportation we seek to offer safe, fair, and competitive services within the City of Airdrie.
Background:
The Province of Alberta has not and does not currently regulate taxi companies. The Province has given permission to each municipality, through the Municipal Government Act, to set their own rules of governance for transportation providers.
In the years prior to the introduction of the Taxi Bylaw, the City of Airdrie received numerous complaints regarding the maintenance and safety of vehicles being used as cabs, as well as the lack of driver knowledge, and driving standards. As a result of these serious complaints, a decade prior to the evolution of the Transportation Network Company (TNC), Council made the decision to adopt a bylaw that would regulate safety for consumers, drivers, and the public. The taxi bylaw also promotes impartial competition and aligns our City with other municipalities in Alberta.
Municipalities have traditionally regulated taxi services to ensure that the services are provided in a safe and predictable manner. This practice continues to be in the best interest of the public. In addition to safety, these bylaws should support new and emerging technologies, and market trends.
The introduction of TNCs prompted the Province of Alberta’s decision to regulate the new service (unlike taxi companies) and to introduce a framework allowing TNC’s to operate in a fair and safe manner. This introduction placed a significant source of competitive pressure upon traditional taxi companies. In order to support both types of transportation services – allowing them to thrive and provide benefits for customers – it is crucial to allow the taxi
253 industry to adjust their operations to help them compete with this new business model. The framework for TNC companies developed by the Province, somewhat mirrors the City of Airdrie’s requirements for taxi companies. Both types of businesses are required to provide proof of insurance and registration on vehicles. In addition, drivers must provide a Class 1, 2 or 4 operator’s license, as well as a current and clear criminal record check. The Province also allows individual Municipalities to add further regulations to TNCs if desired.
In 2019, additional guidelines and fees were added to the bylaw, bringing TNCs more in line with the taxi industry. Council approved a Rideshare Unified license including fees on a sliding scale according to number of drivers. At the request of the Taxi Brokers, the requirement for each taxi driver to submit proof of English proficiency and to complete a mapping test was removed from the bylaw. This speeds up the process of getting taxi drivers on the road. Following further investigation, staff have determined that additional amendments are required to ensure the viability of the taxi industry and customer safety. These amendments would lower costs for taxi brokers, but increase the amount a TNC company would pay to operate in Airdrie.
Due to the current health situation, staff were unable to meet in person with the taxi brokers and TNC companies as they have in past years. Instead, a survey was emailed to all 14 brokers, and one TNC in early August. The survey asked 5 questions. The following results were received in the form of seven completed surveys - six from taxi brokers, one from the TNC company:
1. Was the removal of the English test and the mapping test helpful to your company?
Yes: 5 No: 2 2. Are you satisfied with the current taxi rates?
Yes: 5 No: 2 3. Do you agree with the City’s proposal to remove the Taxi Broker Fee?
Yes: 6 No: 1 4. The City proposes including the first three drivers in the cost of a business license (three drivers would technically be “free” of payment but all safety requirements would remain the same). Do you agree with this?
Yes: 6 No: 1 5. The City proposes increasing the fee for unified licenses (rideshare companies or TNC) to the following:
11 – 50 chauffeurs $2500
51 – 100 chauffeurs $5000
101 – 500 chauffeurs $10,000
501 – 1000 chauffeurs $15,000
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Do you agree with the proposed increases?
Yes: 3 No: 4
Upon further clarification with the three taxi companies who answered no to this question (the fourth company who responded no, was the rideshare company), two misunderstood the question and believed this new fee would apply to their taxi business, the third responded as follows: “The reason I don’t agree is because that model is the Uber Model and creates barriers of entry from smaller competitors. The more expensive you make it for a company to get a license, the less competitive you make the industry because not every company can afford to report billions of dollars in losses like Uber does”.
Staff choose to use a sliding scale method for rideshare companies as this method brings us in line with the two other municipalities in Alberta (City of Calgary and City of Edmonton) that are currently licensing rideshares.
The first proposed amendment is to remove the brokerage license fee of $150.00. This would mean that all brokers would be required only to purchase a business license, but would still be required to submit essential information regarding their company. The second amendment would propose a “tiered” system for taxi drivers. Three drivers or less would be included in the cost of the business license; four to twenty drivers would remain $50.00 per driver; over twenty-one drivers would remain a fee of $1000.00. Staff also recommends a change to the vehicle requirements for taxi companies, making it less expensive to get more cars on the road. Again, instead of charging per vehicle, the first three vehicles would be included in the cost of the business license.
Lastly, staff recommends an increase to the fee for unified licenses. Currently, we receive monthly reports - documenting the drivers and the number of trips – from the one TNC presently working in Airdrie. We do not have the capability of licensing each and every TNC driver and vehicle, and the TNC company will not continue to operate in Airdrie if this became a requirement. In the interest of fairness and equality, increasing fees relative to the number of employed drivers is a much more reasonable solution. As numbers vary each month, staff feels that to average the number of drivers over a twelve month period would provide a realistic final count.
Alignment with South Saskatchewan Regional Plan and AirdrieONE:
N/A
Boards Routed Through:
N/A
Alternatives/Implications:
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1. MPAB can choose to support all recommendations as outlined by staff. This would leave the current safety measures in place for all transportation companies, allowing impartial competition to flourish in the industry, and enhancing consumer choices with respect to transportation services.
2. MPAB can choose to support only one of the recommendations as outlined by staff. This would help to eliminate the differences between taxis and TNCs, but is not recommended as it would enable the taxi industry to only partially compete with the TNC industry.
3. MPAB can choose support none of the recommendations, leaving the current Public Conveyance and Vehicle for Hire Bylaw in place.
Communications Plan:
N/A
Recommendation:
Staff recommends that MPAB support all of the recommendation as outlined by staff. This would leave the current safety measures in place for all transportation companies but allow impartial competition to flourish in the industry and enhance consume choices with respect to transportation services.
______Colleen Kinley Chief License Inspector
Presenter: Colleen Kinley Department: Growth and Protective Services Reviewed by: Mark Locking, Director Attachments: n/a Appointment: n/a
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Airdrie RCMP Municipal Police Advisory Board COVID-19 Impacts
Inspector Lauren Weare October 15th, 2020
257 Changing the way we do business - ADMINISTRATION
Front counter closed from March 17 – October 13 Introduction of email reporting for criminal record checks, collision reporting and general occurrence reporting required: Creation of general email account: [email protected] Modification of existing forms to enable at-home printing Creation of templates for instructions, responses Updating the City Website June 1, 2020 Airdrie piloted the introduction of On-line Crime Reporting through an RCMP portal (link on City of Airdrie website) Mischief, Thefts under $5000 and Lost Property can be reported online. Teleworking Approximately half of the detachment administration began working from home in April as remote RCMP workstations became available, staff gradually returned to regular in-office duties, with all administrative staff back in the office258 on October 13th . Changing the way we do business - OPERATIONS
General Duty Officers
working primarily from their cars on mobile workstations
entry into the office only when necessary. Plainclothes Units
GIS, DVU, MHALT working from home on portable workstations
CRU/SRO/Municipal Traffic collapsed into General Duty Beiseker Detachment Airdrie Detachment
became a centralized cell block for prisoners
259 Calls for Service – By the Numbers
Number of PROS Files by Month 1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep • 2019 • 2020
Average per quarter
• 2019 = 3,957260 • 2020 = 3,297 Calls for Service – Top 10 Occurrence Types
2019 2020 Occurrence Type IQ1 Q2 Q3 IQ1 Q2 Q3 Suspicious Person/ Vehicle/ Property I 221I 294 291I 198 216 224 Assistance to General Public 220 252 200 147 163 236 Other Moving Traffic Violations - Provincial/Territorial 201I 294 229 172 117 189 Moving Traffic - Speeding Violations - Provincial/Territorial 146 187I 282 310 28I 204 Traffic Collision(s) - Property Damage - Reportable 279 230 212 204 97 133 Municipal Bylaws - Other 88 186 220 147 264 245 Assistance to Canadian Police (non-RCMP) Agency 123 139 120 92 119 100 Mental Health Act - Other Activities (FIP) 110 103 114 100 109 136 Wellbeing Check 82 100 92 100 79 113 261 Assistance to Canadian Provincial/Territorial Dept/Agency 117 83 77 85 74 110 Calls for Service – Top 10 Criminal Code
In 2020, our top 10 criminal code occurrence types are primarily property crime.
Occurrence Type Number of Occurrences Disturbing the peace/Causing a disturbance 175(1) CC 227 Mischief - Damage to property 430(3)&(4) CC 209 Assault 266 CC (FIP) 201 Mischief - Obstruct enjoyment of property 430(3)&(4) CC 186 Theft under or equal to $5000 From a motor vehicle 334(b) CC 179 Other theft under $5000 334(b) CC 171 Harassing communications 372(3) CC 137 Uttering threats against a person 264.1(1)(a) CC (FIP) 134 Fraud (money/property/security) less than or equal to $5000 380(1)(b) CC 118
Break and Enter - Residence 348(1) CC (FIP) 262 113 Airdrie Municipal 2020 Q3 Crime Gauge
2020 vs. 2 0 19 Aird rie Municipa l C.-ime Gauge Januar to Q3 Airdrie Municipal Criminal Code Offences detachment has seen an overall year-to date 4% decrease in 2020 Total over 2019. Decrease Criminal Code When com pared to 4% January to Q 3, 2019 Offences:
Select Property Crime
263 2020 YTD Persons Crimes
Airdrie Municipal Detachment Crime Statistics (Actual) January to September: 2016 - 2020 % Change % Change Avg File +/- CATEGORY 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2016 - 2020 2019 - 2020 per Year Homicides & Offences Related to Death 2 4 3 3 2 0% -33% -0.1 Robbery 7 10 19 7 7 0% 0% -0.3 Sexual Assaults 25 47 44 58 34 36% -41% 2.9 Other Sexual Offences 34 7 20 28 10 -71% -64% -2.7 Assault 308 286 295 304 305 -1% 0% 1.2 Kidnapping/Hostage/Abduction 10 11 2 6 4 -60% -33% -1.7 Extortion 1 5 1 3 2 100% -33% 0.0 Criminal Harassment 73 98 99 150 132 81% -12% 17.0 Uttering Threats 117 109 117 117 119 2% 2% 1.2 TOTAL PERSONS 577 577 600 676 615 7% -9% 17.5
These figures are based on “all violations” and264 not the number of calls for service. Remember that there can be multiple violations on one call for service. 2020 COVID-19 Effects – Drugs
Airdrie Municipal Detachment Crime Statistics (Actual) January to September: 2016 - 2020 % Change % Change Avg File CATEGORY 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2016 - 2019 - +/- per 2020 2020 Year Drug Enforcement - Production 2 8 3 3 1 -50% -67% -0.7
Drug Enforcement - Possession 101 92 104 43 69 -32% 60% -11.3
Drug Enforcement - Trafficking 69 50 39 35 48 -30% 37% -5.7
Drug Enforcement - Other 5 1 0 1 0 -100% -100% -1.0
Total Drugs 177 151 146 82 118 -33% 44% -18.7
These figures are based on “all violations”265 and not the number of calls for service. Remember that there can be multiple violations on one call for service. 2020 YTD Property Crimes
Airdrie Municipal Detachment Crime Statistics (Actual) January to September: 2016 - 2020 % Change % Change Avg File +/- CATEGORY 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2016 - 2020 2019 - 2020 per Year Break & Enter 134 156 125 116 129 -4% 11% -5.0 Theft of Motor Vehicle 135 182 201 169 130 -4% -23% -2.3 Theft Over $5,000 25 28 31 23 22 -12% -4% -1.1 Theft Under $5,000 840 730 618 586 552 -34% -6% -72.0 Possn Stn Goods 70 125 181 108 104 49% -4% 5.1 Fraud 212 235 277 286 296 40% 3% 21.9 Arson 12 9 13 7 3 -75% -57% -2.0 Mischief To Property 650 479 524 453 448 -31% -1% -43.0 TOTAL PROPERTY 2,078 1,944 1,970 1,748 1,684 -19% -4% -98.4 These figures are based on “all violations” and not the number of calls for service. Remember that there can be multiple violations266 on one call for service. 2020 COVID-19 Effects - B&E’s
Airdrie Municipal Detachment Crime Statistics (Actual) January to September: 2016 - 2020
Category 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 FLAG
Break and Enter (Total)* 134 156 125 116 129 Within Norm
Business 49 40 40 21 36 Within Norm
Residence 62 82 62 71 75 Within Norm
Cottage or Seasonal Residence 0 3 0 1 0 Within Norm
Other 18 23 22 17 10 Within Norm
These figures are based on “all violations” and not the number of calls for service. Remember that there can be multiple violations267 on one call for service. 2020 COVID-19 Effects - Shoplifting
Airdrie Municipal Detachment Crime Statistics (Actual) January to September: 2016 - 2020 Category Trend 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 FLAG Within Theft Over & Under $5,000 (Total) 865 758 649 609 574 Norm Within Theft from a motor vehicle 442 356 335 297 229 Norm Shoplifting 93 86 61 83 100 Issue Within Mail Theft (includes all Mail offences) 6 4 15 5 5 Norm Within Theft of bicycle 25 19 31 31 31 Norm Within Other Theft 302 294 210 194 209 Norm 268 These figures are based on “all violations” and not the number of calls for service. Remember that there can be multiple violations on one call for service. 2020 COVID-19 Effects - Domestic Violence
Airdrie Municipal Detachment Crime Statistics (Actual) January to September: 2016 - 2020 % Change % Change Avg File CATEGORY 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2016 - 2019 - +/- per 2020 2020 Year Spousal Abuse - Survey Code 690 718 608 647 643 -7% -1% -16.5 (Reported)
% Change % Change Avg File +/- Quarter 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2016 - 2020 2019 - 2020 per Year
Q1 219 215 163 221 199 -9% -10% -3.4 Q2 219 249 217 231 213 -3% -8% -3.0 Q3 252 254 228 195 228 -10% 17% -10.7
These figures are based on “all violations”269 and not the number of calls for service. Remember that there can be multiple violations on one call for service. 2020 COVID-19 Effects - Mental Health
Airdrie Municipal Detachment Crime Statistics (Actual) January to September: 2016 - 2020 % Change % Change Avg File +/- CATEGORY 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2016 - 2019 - per Year 2020 2020 Mental Health Act 312 311 323 357 415 33% 16% 25.2 Form 10 (MHA) (Reported) 0 0 0 39 129 N/A 231% 29.7
% Change % Change Avg File +/- Quarter 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2016 - 2020 2019 - 2020 per Year
Q1 106 91 117 128 129 22% 1% 8.3 Q2 107 115 93 95 143 34% 51% 5.2
Q3 99 105 113 134 138 39% 3% 10.7
These figures are based on “all violations” and270 not the number of calls for service. Remember that there can be multiple violations on one call for service. 2020 COVID-19 Effects – Wellbeing Checks
Airdrie Municipal Detachment Crime Statistics (Actual) January to September: 2016 - 2020
Category 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 FLAG
Wellbeing Check 88 161 196 272 313 Issue
These figures are based on “all violations” and not the number of calls for service. Remember that there can be multiple violations on one call for service.
271 2020 COVID-19 Effects – Motor Vehicle Collisions
Airdrie Municipal Detachment Crime Statistics (Actual) January to September: 2016 - 2020
% Change % Change Avg File +/- CATEGORY 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2016 - 2020 2019 - 2020 per Year
Fatal Motor Vehicle Collisions 0 0 0 0 0 N/A N/A 0.0
Injury Motor Vehicle Collisions 13 18 4 14 12 -8% -14% -0.6
Property Damage MVC (Reportable) 66 84 81 79 59 -11% -25% -1.9
Property Damage MVC (Non Reportable) 10 11 10 16 6 -40% -63% -0.3
TOTAL MVC 89 113 95 109 77 -13% -29% -2.8
These figures are based on “all violations” and not272 the number of calls for service. Remember that there can be multiple violations on one call for service. Recent Major Events
Successful drug search warrant and subsequent forcible confinement file – 2020/09/13
Suspicious house fire – 2020/09/14
BB gun shooting event in downtown Airdrie – 2020/09/18
273 Questions
Inspector Lauren Weare Officer in Charge Airdrie RCMP Detachment Office #: (403) 945-7200 Cell #: (403) 605-1111 Email: lauren.weare@rcmp274 -grc.gc.ca