Coquitlam RCMP wants to hire six new officers as part of the detachment’s effort to target high-crime areas and step up enforcement ahead of the opening of the Evergreen Line.
And that’s not the only big-bucks budget request that went before city council this week that’s related to the new transit line.
The Mounties’ $912,000 funding request is the second part of a two-year plan that, if approved by council, would see the new hires complement six officers who joined the force in 2014.
Supt. Sean Maloney, the officer in charge of Coquitlam RCMP, told council on Tuesday that it was important to have the resources in place ahead of the opening of the SkyTrain line in order for police to plan accordingly.
“I don’t want to wait until problems happen,” he said. “In Surrey, the SkyTrain came and then they took action. You don’t want to be in that boat because it was a bit of a nightmare.”
The six officers hired last year operate outside the regular police rotation, conducting foot patrols primarily in areas that crime statistics show spikes in illegal activity.
Maloney, who has worked in Surrey and for the Richmond RCMP when the Canada Line opened, said if the six additional officers are hired this year, it will allow the team to operate around the clock. The increased police visibility will play an important role in deterring criminal activities around the new stations, he added.
“I told my folks that I want to make sure they are out there and the citizens of this community see your face,” he said.
Supt. Maloney was not the only person making funding requests during Coquitlam council’s two-day budget meetings this week.
Jozsef Dioszeghy, the city’s general manager of engineering and public works, requested $3 million for the construction of a parking lot near the YMCA recreation facility expected to be built in Burquitlam. The lot would be utilized by the facility and would also provide at least 75 parking stalls to the city as a park-and-ride near the area’s Evergreen Line station.
The city’s parks and recreation department, meanwhile, is seeking $2 million for electrical upgrades, lighting and new washroom facilities for Town Centre Park. Those funds are on top of the $2.7 million already dedicated for an amphitheatre on the edge of Lafarge Lake.
Raul Allueva, the general manager of parks and recreation, is also hoping council will approve a 1% dedicated tax increase, which works out to roughly $1.25 million, for park infrastructure upkeep.
“This has been substantially underfunded for a long period of time,” Allueva said. “Without sustainable funding of some form, we are not going to be able to stay on top of that.”
Another $676,000 was also requested by the parks department for operating costs, including a new park infrastructure supervisor ($139,000) and managing the chafer beetle issue ($199,400).
Perry Staniscia, Coquitlam’s general manager of strategic initiatives, is also hoping council will approve a 1% tax increase for facility maintenance costs, including the fire halls, police detachment and the recreation facilities.
“About $5 million [annually] is needed here roughly to maintain our buildings in accordance with general accepted maintenance standards,” he said. “We have about $1.6 million of [annual] funding.”
Budget presentations to council finished yesterday and council is expected to use the information to piece together next year’s financial plan.
With rising labour costs and inflation, Coquitlam will already see a 1.14% property tax increase just to maintain current service levels. A 1% tax increase works out to approximately $1.25 million in additional revenue for the city.
@gmckennaTC
