Police Association’s Thoughts on Bowman’s Budget

News

WINNIPEG, MB. – Mayor Brian Bowman’s 2018 budget was rammed through Winnipeg City Council today, completing a mostly-closed-door process that will ultimately leave Winnipeg families at greater risk of crime, while pet projects such as Portage and Main pedestrian crossings and Wi-Fi for buses continue to move ahead. It is a budget that puts pet political projects before public safety.

“Before he was elected, Brian Bowman pledged to be more open and transparent, but today we see once again how a process that is mostly conducted behind closed doors will ultimately lower the safety for Winnipeg families,” said Winnipeg Police Association (WPA) President Maurice ‘Moe’ Sabourin. “This budget was developed through months of closed-door meetings and crashed through Council and the Winnipeg Police Board in a matter of weeks. That’s how you have a budget that puts our frontline members under greater stress – and at the same time political pet projects still move ahead.”

At a Winnipeg Police Board meeting to consider the 2018 budget, it was acknowledged the proposed funding, which would see an increase of only 1.2%, was a ‘stand-pat’ budget, while calls for service and violent crime severity increases. Throughout 2017, pressures have been increasing on frontline police resources. Fifteen positions have already been cut and training has been reduced.

“The City said they had a financial challenge, and WPA members have done their part, negotiating a collective agreement Mayor Bowman himself introduced to City Council as ‘the longest and most sustainable negotiated agreement with the Winnipeg Police Service in almost 20 years’. The agreement helped the WPS project a $2 million surplus,” said Sabourin. “For our efforts, our members are rewarded with fewer resources to do their jobs, while pet special projects such as opening Portage and Main to pedestrians, Wi-Fi on buses, or senior city officials who can apparently work half-time for a different level of government, continue. Council has been forced to adopt a budget that reflects the personal priorities of the Mayor and his council allies – not the priorities of Winnipeg families. This is not a sustainable approach to public safety.

Moe Sabourin, President – Winnipeg Police Association

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