The Saanich Police Department is looking for a hefty 9.74-per-cent increase in its budget and its chief says the health of officers is at a “critical” point due to staffing levels.
Chief Dean Duthie told Saanich council on Monday in presenting the budget pitch that the department’s staff are suffering from operational “burnout” and low morale, calling the situation a “tipping point.”
Duthie said there has been no increase in platoon strength since 2016. Right now, Saanich has 14 constables in four patrol platoons and the minimum strength needed at any given time is six to eight constables.
“The current organizational health status at the Saanich police department right now is critical, and I’m very concerned,” Duthie said. “We are at a tipping point with our resources.”
An estimated 4.95 per cent of the budget ask is to cover increases in salaries, wages and benefits. The budget ask of $4,182,412 is “to meet the funding needs arising from negotiated wage increases and increases to committed operating expenses,” reads the report. “Similar to 2023, significant external pressures and downloading of costs to the Department continues in 2024. The Senior Leadership Team routinely conducts internal service delivery reviews to improve overall efficiency and effectiveness; however, it has been determined that additional service delivery efficiencies are not viable or operationally feasible, with existing resources. The resulting budget increase is one that the Board feels is necessary for SPD to continue to deliver key services, maintain employee wellness and officer safety, and to uphold the high level of public safety service it provides to the citizens of Saanich.
Duthie told council that the department has been hit by multiple early retirements, plus 10 resignations in the wake of the deadly attack on police in 2022 outside of a bank. Two armed suspects died in the incident and six police officers were shot.
Saanich is growing all the time and the number of case files has grown along with it by more than 13 per cent.
“The need to increase is significant,” Duthie said. “Our officers are feeling safety issues on the road because of lack of strength and bodies responding to calls.”
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