'Forming policy based on a catchy slogan': Questions about ABC Vancouver public safety plan persist
CTV
A city councillor and the executive director of the BC Crisis Centre are among those raising questions about a motion that would allocate $6 million in funding to the hiring of more police officers and mental health nurses in Vancouver.
A city councillor and the executive director of the BC Crisis Centre are among those raising questions about a motion that would allocate $6 million in funding to the hiring of more police officers and mental health nurses in Vancouver.
Coun. Lisa Dominato tabled the motion "Enabling the Requisitioning and Hiring of 100 New Police Officers and 100 Mental Health Nurses" Tuesday. Its title refers to a key campaign promise made by Ken Sim and the ABC Vancouver party, who were elected with a majority last month. During the campaign, the annual cost of this was estimated at $20 million.
While Sim said he would make this happen on "day one," his chief of staff Kareem Allam says the decision on Nov. 22 represents "the first, earliest humanly possible moment that we could have voted on it." He has no doubt it will pass.
The motion would allocate "an initial block of funding" of $4.5 million for the Vancouver Police Department and $1.5 million for Vancouver Coastal Health starting on Jan. 1, 2023.
"The nature, scope, and magnitude of the mental health and addiction crisis facing Vancouver requires a significant and substantial increase in supports and actions to improve the quality of life for those living with mental illness, substance use, and addiction in our city," it reads, saying this money would "support various mental health initiatives and partnerships between the two agencies."
The VPD advertises its starting salary as $77,983. An online job posing for a mental health nurse with VCH says the starting hourly wage is $36.23, which works out to $65,938 per year. Without factoring in things like benefits or overtime, the $6 million would pay for approximately 57 officers and 22 nurses.
OneCity Coun. Christine Boyle does not understand how total amount of funding, as well as the way it is divided, would be enough to make good on the mayor's pledge.
