Join the campaign for a new, more equitable police funding model
AUMA encourages all members to join its letter writing campaign calling for the province to implement a new, more equitable police funding model.
Currently, policing costs are only paid by urban municipalities with a population greater than 5,000. Small urban municipalities, as well as all municipal districts and counties, are exempt.
Although the province provides support through the Municipal Police Assistance Grant Program, there have been chronic shortfalls in funding as this program has not kept pace with growing populations and increasing crime rates. AUMA supports the “everyone should pay” concept, using a funding formula based on population and property assessment, with any resulting surplus funds being allocated to crime prevention and response. A more equitable funding model could also generate additional revenue to address the current rural crime epidemic.
In 2016, AUMA members passed a resolution asking AUMA to advocate for a new police funding model. In response to our persistence, at our March 2017 Mayors’ Caucus Minister Ganley committed verbally to begin reviewing funding models this fall. We are aware that Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General staff has researched options for a new, more equitable funding model; however, any consultations on police funding are not likely to take place until after the 2019 provincial election.
The AUMA Board feels we have already waited too long for the province to resolve the inequities in police funding, and this issue this urgent in nature should not be put off any longer.
We are therefore inviting you to participate in our letter writing campaign to signal the importance of this issue to the Minister. AUMA has developed a letter template that municipalities can download and adapt to send to MLAs, as well as a background document for further information.
If you have any questions about the letter writing campaign or AUMA’s approach to police funding, please email advocacy [at] auma.ca (advocacy[at]auma[dot]ca). More information on municipal policing can be found on the AUMA Policing Hub.
