A new governance model has been established for the integrated police units in the Capital Regional District municipalities.
The region’s mayors will meet around four times a year to oversee the five integrated units and will have a combined budget of $2 million.
The new governance model, called the Regional Governance Council for Integrated Police Units, is intended to help inform decision-making and to help identify potential new shared services for the region.
David Screech, mayor of View Royal, and Kevin Murdoch, mayor of Oak Bay, will serve as co-chairs of the council.
Screech will represent municipalities with RCMP detachments, and Murdoch will represent municipalities served by municipal police.
In a statement, Screech and Murdoch say this has been in the work for a few years.
“We would like to specifically thank the Province, who contributed expertise and funding over several years to help develop a governance model that works with Provincial legislation and helps achieve best practices when working across organizations and jurisdictions,” said Mayors Murdoch and Screech in a statement. “We know these units face unique challenges and need to adapt to changing community needs, and we’re excited to see the formation of a model that allows community input for these regional units.”
There are three RCMP units, and two non-RCMP units overseen by the council.
The RCMP units are the Integrated Mobile Crisis Response Team, Mobile Youth Services Team, and Regional Domestic Violence Unit.
Non-RCMP units are the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team, and Greater Victoria Public Safety Unit.
Laura Brougham
