Recommendation considered public feedback and evaluation of five proposed funding models
Winnipeg, MB – The City of Winnipeg was asked to bring forward options and a recommendation on a funding model for police services that will provide planning certainty for the City and a sustainable and predictable funding level for the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS). Following public engagement and an evaluation of the five proposed funding models, the City is recommending Council maintain the existing multi-year balanced budget approach for police service funding.
The City’s recommendation, along with a summary of public engagement activities and assessment of the benefits and challenges of each of the funding models, is detailed in a report to be presented to Executive Policy Committee on March 16, 2022.
The City established a working group to conduct a jurisdictional scan of police funding models in Canadian cities, create potential funding model options for the City of Winnipeg, and to consult with Winnipeg residents on the proposed options. The working group included representation from multiple City departments and the Winnipeg Police Service, as well as Councillors Markus Chambers, Scott Gillingham, and Sherri Rollins.
“Public safety is an essential service provided to the citizens of Winnipeg and it is important that we will be able to maintain our current level of service in a sustainable way,” said Markus Chambers, Councillor for St. Norbert - Seine River and Chair of the Winnipeg Police Board. “As members of Council, we will consider the options presented and the recommendation made by the Public Service.”
“Police services is the City’s largest operating expenditure and the demand for this service will only increase as Winnipeg continues to grow,” said Scott Gillingham, Councillor for St. James and Chair of the Standing Policy Committee on Finance. “We need to be examining how the City plans to fund this service, not only today but well into the future.”
“While the conversation around resources and funding is important, it’s only one aspect of public safety and crime prevention for the City of Winnipeg,” said Sherri Rollins, Councillor for Fort Rouge - East For Garry and Chair of the Standing Policy Committee on Protection, Community Services and Parks. “The City needs to continue to support community led activities and safety efforts, as we do within recreation services in supporting overall public health and wellness or with the Community Safety and Crime Prevention Program. The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative is also an opportunity for the City to find more creative and innovative ways to reduce demands on our emergency services.”
Key reasons for the City’s recommendation to maintain the status quo funding model includes that the current model:
- provides planning certainty during the multi-year budget period;
- is predictable for both the WPS and the City during the multi-year budget period;
- allows for more public input and consultation to WPS total budget amount;
- does not impact the bargaining power of parties to the wage and benefit agreements;
- allows Council to use their discretion to determine total budget envelope for the Winnipeg Police Service; and,
- is the most accepted of the five models based on public engagement.
The City collected public feedback on the proposed funding models through an online survey, a statistical survey of Winnipeg residents, five public engagement sessions held on Zoom, and on a telephone town hall. While there was some appetite for change expressed, there was no consensus among those involved in public engagement meetings or public surveys as to which funding model would be the most appropriate for Winnipeg in the future.
The report on the City’s recommendation on the police funding model is publicly available through the Decision Making Information System (DMIS).