Port Coquitlam is calling on the provincial government to force municipalities to contribute to integrated regional policing teams, changes the city said could make the system more efficient.
PoCo chief administrative officer John Leeburn said the city is not looking for a regional police force but believes collaboration between different police departments and RCMP detachments should be compulsory for specialized services.
"There are integrated teams already and we think they are working well," he said. "We think they would work even better if participation was mandatory."
Currently, some municipalities contract their murder investigations with the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) while others, like Port Moody, rely on the Vancouver Police Department's murder investigation unit.
Leeburn said if all municipalities contributed to the same program, it would create efficiencies and economies of scale, making it cheaper. The same goes for other integrated programs such as the Integrated Collision Analysis Reconstruction Service, the Emergency Response Team and the dog squad, he added.
"Each detachment can't have their own dog squad," he said. "We need to share resources."
Port Coquitlam is not the only municipality lobbying the provincial government for policing changes. Discussions about the initiative came up during a meeting between the three Tri-City mayors and, last month, Coquitlam voted in favour of a report encouraging mandatory municipal participation in some regional policing services.
A staff report presented to Coquitlam council stated that while cities are hesitant to endorse a unified Lower Mainland police force, in some instances, regional collaboration could save taxpayers money.
Port Coquitlam's community safety committee voted in favour of the report, which is expected to be presented to city council at an upcoming meeting.
gmckenna@tricitynews.com
