The Editor:
Re: New West police department proposes 9% budget hike for 2024 (Sept. 14, 2023)
I'm truly surprised to see the New Westminster Police Department (NWPD) is only asking for a nine per cent property tax increase to their budget for next year.
When you consider the rate of crime we are seeing these days (violent or not), the number of calls the police department gets every single day, along with the time, skills and manpower that it takes to conduct proper investigations (forensic or not), and the upkeep of equipment and vehicles, uniform requirements, shooting range requirements, court time, etc, etc., makes a nine per cent increase to the police budget an absolute gift for New Westminster taxpayers!
If city councillors really want to help taxpayers save money, they need to start by cutting all but absolutely necessary spending (such as fixing roads, sewers and infrastructure).
Let's get back to basics here!
- Gary Tupper, New Westminster
