The Codiac Regional Policing Authority (CRPA) has recommended the tri-communities hire 25 new police officers and 14 civilian employees following consultations with members of the community.
In a presentation to Moncton City Council on Monday, CRPA chairperson Don Moore said the additional officers would cost about $12 million if done over one year.
Councillor Shawn Crossman told Moore the cost is considerable especially on top of the $50 million estimated cost of a new police station.
“To possibly… possibly… there’s no guarantee… that we’re going to make Moncton safer.”
If no action is taken, Moore said CRPA would still need a base increase of 10 percent or $3.8 million in its next budget to cover wage hikes and other increases due to inflation.
In 2022, the CRPA budget was $39.2 million with Moncton covering 71 percent of the cost, Dieppe covering 18 percent and Riverview 10 percent.
In a report to council, city staff said the budget the CRPA is proposing would be an increase of 14.96 percent over last year which is significant and could mean potential tax increases or service cuts down the road.
Councillor Charles Leger said more concrete information is needed before a decision can be made.
“I keep hearing ‘we believe’. Well, I believe in a lot of things too but that’s not going to help me at the end of the day – we need facts.”
The Codiac Regional RCMP currently has 147 police officers which means an additional 25 would give a roster of 172 officers.
Deputy mayor Bryan Butler, a former police officer, believes more officers are needed and he cited Statistics Canada data which indicated any urban area with 100,000 or more in population should have between 180 and 205 officers.
Daniel Bourgeois was one of several councillors who wanted to wait to see the results of a forthcoming policing study before weighing in on the matter.
City Council will deliberate the budget in November and CRPA is the largest line item at about 16 percent of the total general operating budget.
