While Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu offered his support for a Metro Vancouver regional police force this week, New Westminster Chief Const. Dave Jones and Mayor Wayne Wright are offering a differing view.
"We're very satisfied with our own police force," said Wright. "You have to remember that we had the first police force on this side of the Great Lakes. We're older than the RCMP, and we've had a police force that serves the people who live in the community for a long time. . I see no reason to change."
Wright said New Westminster already participates in several regional policing initiatives, such as the integrated homicide investigation team and the RCMP's emergency response team.
"We are getting the best of both worlds," said Wright. "We're integrated with the RCMP, and we work very well with all the police forces in the area. Why would we change? What are we going to gain from going to a new police force?"
Jones agreed, saying New Westminster's police force is doing well on its own.
Jones said he's not against change and, having recently returned from a policing conference in Ottawa, he learned there are many policing alternatives which should be looked at.
"Regionalization, like any policing model, has its pros and cons," said Jones, "but why has it been presented to us as we have only two choices? Why does it have to be one big regional police force? I can see it making sense to have, for example, a Tri-Cities or a North Shore regional policing unit, and that's something that they can look at. Is bigger better? Not always."
Jones said there are definitely areas where regionalization makes sense.
"Look at us joining with the RCMP for emergency response," said Jones. "We're getting greater efficiency and lower costs, so that makes sense. . I believe we're on the right path when we integrate where it makes sense."
New Westminster had previously been part of the municipal integrated emergency response team with Port Moody, Delta and Abbotsford, but that team disbanded at the end of 2012. New Westminster decided to work with the RCMP's emergency response team, effective Jan. 1.
New Westminster has already made use of the emergency response team twice in the first three weeks of the year.
Insp. Dave Jansen said not only has the response been fast, it allows New Westminster police to use its patrol officers elsewhere once the emergency response team takes over a situation.
"At one scene, we had upwards of 20 members on the scene," said Jansen. "And at the other, we had nine members on scene within two minutes."
The issue of regional policing became big news this week when Chu released a report responding to Wally Oppal's 63 recommendations of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry.
In Chu's report, written by Vancouver Deputy Chief Doug LePard, the Vancouver Police Department supports the recommendation "that the provincial government commit to establishing a Greater Vancouver police force through a consultative process with all stakeholders."
Wright said that while he respects Chu's thoughts, he thinks New Westminster is doing the right thing by having its own police force.
"I think it means a lot to the people who live in the city to have police officers who live and work in the city, too," said Wright. "We know who they are, and they know who we are. . And when an issue arises, I like that, from a mayor's point of view, I can speak to the chief and know that things will be done."
Jones agreed, saying that New Westminster having its own police force has many advantages.
"We know that officers join our force because they like working in a small community. They like learning everybody's name, and they like being part of the community that they live in," said Jones. "We also like having a community policing element, and I don't know if going to a regional force will take away from that. . You'd have to get some data on that, but we like what we have with community policing."
