The Gatineau Police presents its workforce and financial plan for the years 2023-2027
Sonia Roy
The Service de police de la Ville de Gatineau (SPVG) presented its staffing plan for the next five years to municipal councilors at the last meeting of the plenary committee on June 28. The SPVG, whose official mission is to "maintain peace, order and public safety, preserve life and protect property, while enforcing the laws and regulations in force, while respecting the fundamental rights of individuals", took the opportunity to provide a summary of criminal activities on its territory: although crime has been declining for the past five years, there has been an increase in the number of crimes against the person, with 2,926 reports of such crimes in 2020, compared to 3,181 reports in 2021.
Based on data collected directly from the Gatineau population, the SPVG presented certain particularities of the region: the proximity of Ottawa and the obligation of cross-border collaboration, the growing population, the development and urban densification are all factors that have an impact on the police reality. The expectations of Gatineau residents towards their police force were also surveyed: the treatment of sexual assault victims, child sexual abuse recording cases, murders and homicides as well as elder abuse were deemed as priorities. From a more bureaucratic point of view, it was explained that the SPVG would also work on the humanization of its approach, the professionalization of its services as well as its technological orientation, in addition to improving its proximity to the citizens.
By 2027, the SPVG plans to add 76 new employees, 43 police officers and 33 civilian agents. These new employees will be added to the 390 police officers and 140 civilian officers already employed by the SPVG, for a total of respectively 433 and 173 employees. Several sections will benefit from additional police manpower, including the team in charge of court liaisons, the team in charge of appearance and detention, the team tasked with emergency response protocols and the forensic identification team, while areas such as the intelligence and analysis department, the information technologies department as well as the human resources will see several civilian officers added to their ranks. With the addition of 12 and 21 officers respectively by 2027, the crimes against the person and community policing sections are projected to be the most affected by the increase in personnel. In creating their financial framework for the next five years, the SPVG consulted the city's strategic plans, government plans, municipal policies, inspectorates as well as the Livre vert sur la réalité policière and the report of the advisory committee on policing (Comité consultatif sur la réalité policière). Finally, combining these consultations with the various summary portraits, surveys and feedback from its employees, the SPVG will require a total budget of $12,548,778 for the years 2023-2027 according to its projections. These costs will be separated into three categories, namely employee compensation, operating costs and capital expenditures, and approval of this funding will have to go through the City of Gatineau’s executive committee.
Photo caption: SPVG Police Station at 590 Bd Gréber
Photo credit: Sonia Roy