WINNIPEG, MB – The 2019 preliminary budgets propose significant investments in both the Winnipeg Police Service as well as the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service whose combined budgets represent 45 percent of the overall tax supported budget.
The 2019 preliminary operating budget proposes to invest $301.4 million into the Winnipeg Police Service, another historic amount of annual funding. This represents an increase of $10 million or 3.4 percent from funding levels adopted by Council in 2018.
This year marks a transition year for the Winnipeg Police Board strategic plan. It is the last year in its five-year strategic plan. The existing Winnipeg Police Board strategic plan covers the five-year period, 2015 to 2019. Beginning this year, the Board will be working on and preparing its next five-year plan for 2020-2024.
The 2019 preliminary operating budget also proposes to invest $201.5 million into the fire paramedic service. This represents an increase of approximately $8 million or 4.2 percent from funding levels adopted by Council in 2018.
The majority of these increases is to fulfill obligations under city’s existing collective agreements as well as important investments in safety as determined by the Winnipeg Police Board and the police service.
When combined, operating funding to the Winnipeg Police Service and the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service comprises almost half – 45 percent – of the total tax supported operating budget.
The 2019 preliminary budget also includes a recommendation to transfer $100,000 each year over the next four years from the Civic Initiatives, Promotional, and Protocol grant program to the General Purpose Reserve Fund to support the establishment of a Community Safety and Crime Prevention program.
In addition to proposing an operating funding increase, more than $4.6 million in capital support to the police service is being proposed in 2019. The six-year capital budget for the police service totals $25.5 million. Capital investments proposed in 2019 reflect the need for significant upgrades to various information technology systems including:
- $1 million to begin replacing about 200 mobile laptops located in cruiser cars and upgrading the modems and mounting brackets; and
- About $3 million to maintain and upgrade various other information systems.
More than $16 million in capital support is proposed to the fire paramedic service in 2019. The fire paramedic service’s six-year capital budget totals $47.5 million. Capital investments proposed in 2019 include:
- $11.2 million for a new computer aided dispatch system to modernize and improve communications within the fire paramedic service;
- $1.4 million to replace equipment including air compressors required to fill firefight breathing apparatus, cardiac monitors and defibrillators, and power stretchers; and
- $3.4 million to maintain and repair fire paramedic stations.