Prince Albert Police Service Chief Jon Bergen speaks to councillors at Tuesday's budget deliberations (Alison Sandstrom/paNOW staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

Police spending

City approves $17.2 million police budget

Nov 6, 2019 | 5:00 PM

Prince Albert city council has approved a $17.2 million police budget for 2020, up $500,000 from last year.

Spending on the department accounts for around a quarter of the entire city budget.

The city has 103 sworn officers, meaning the ratio of police officers per 100,000 people is 273. The national average is 185.

“We have 148 per cent higher than the national average police officers per 100,000, we know that,” Prince Albert Police Service Chief Jon Bergen told councillors during Tuesday’s budget deliberations.

“But we also know that crime in Prince Albert is 317 per cent higher than the national average.”

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He explained PAPS responds to over 36,000 calls per year, a number on par with the volume in an average city of 100,000.

Coun. Dennis Nowoselsky was one of only two councillors who voted against the increased funding, citing that Saskatoon and Regina had much lower police to general population ratios.

“Something seems out of balance,” he said. “But my second question is if you were in our positions as elected officials what suggestions would you recommend to bring down the policing budget so it’s more manageable so the city can survive?”

Bergen responded he brought the most efficient budget he could.

“I don’t believe there’s any room to decrease the police budget from what we are today,” he said.

Coun. Evert Botha was one of several councillors who spoke in favour of approving the police department’s budget request.

“If there’s one thing I’ve heard from residents it’s that they don’t mind paying more for effective policing,” he said.

Botha asked the chief if more money was needed, but Bergen said he was aware “these aren’t great economic times to grow the police service.”

The mayor told the meeting he would be writing to the federal government and the province to request funding for four new patrol officers, something the police chief welcomed.

The province currently funds 20 of the city’s 103 sworn officers.

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom