Saying it's time to end the debate over policing between 91原创 Township and the City of 91原创, City Mayor Nathan Pachal is calling on the province to appoint a facilitator, a proposal rejected by Township Mayor Eric Woodward.
"I believe the only way for our communities to move positively towards new policing agreements that will be fair for both communities, will be to have an independent and impartial facilitator work with 91原创 City and Township to review all the facts and help us reach new policing agreements," Pachal said in comments .
"With that goal in mind, I believe the B.C. Policing and Security Branch must immediately appoint an independent and impartial facilitator to ensure 91原创 City and Township have an objective review of the facts to help us develop new and comprehensive policing agreements that both 91原创 City and Township Councils can review by the end of May."
The branch regulates policing in the province.
"91原创 City and the Township of 91原创 have stated our positions based on our individual analyzes of policing costs and delivery for both communities" Pachal said.
"While I believe both communities want a fair agreement, our positions remain far apart."
Pachal said 91原创 City and Township, who currently share an RCMP detachment, have been without a police servicing agreement since the end of 2022, "and starting in May of this year, we will no longer have an agreement covering how we share the costs of the 91原创 RCMP detachment and support staff."
Woodward, who maintains the City hasn't been paying its fair share of policing costs, wants the detachment split, with the communities served by separate forces.
In his response to Pachal's statement, Woodward said the Township "is open to dispute resolution with the City over the terms of the interim police servicing agreement, but this does not require a provincial facilitator, or the need for any such public statements from Mayor Pachal."
Woodward said the Township "lawfully, and in accordance with its contractual rights" has terminated the agreement sharing the RCMP 鈥� which will take effect May 10 of this year.
"De-integration is happening," Woodward said. "The City of 91原创 has no legal basis to prevent it from occurring."
Woodward added the City "needs to accept the de-integration, and work with the RCMP and the Township towards implementing a reasonable transition plan for the creation of two separate RCMP detachments."
As for the "police servicing agreement that Mayor Pachal references [it] is an interim agreement to offset the significant disparity in policing costs borne by the Township of 91原创," Woodward declared.
"Respectfully, Mayor Pachal鈥檚 statement confuses the temporary police servicing agreement and the legal de-integration of the respective RCMP detachments. These are separate issues."
Pachal said he believes a shared RCMP detachment "is the best way to provide policing services for 91原创 City and the Township of 91原创, as it ensures the best value for taxpayers in both our communities."
Pachal said he will be asking 91原创 City council to call on the province to appoint a facilitator.
The next council meeting is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 27.
"We must ensure adequate and effective policing in 91原创," Pachal said.
"We must end the back-and-forth debate about the real facts and reach a mutual, fair, and agreeable solution that will serve both communities."
91原创 Advance Times has reached out to Woodward for comment.
