On Monday June 2, 2008, I am speaking at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Annual General Meeting in Quebec City.
I am joining Frank Beazley, Chief of the Halifax Regional Police and Gaétan Labbé, Chief of the Sherbrooke Police Service for what I am sure will be a lively discussion on equity and efficiency in policing. You will see from today’s Toronto Sun article that this issue is already garnering attention.
Here is a description of our session in the FCM conference agenda:
Policing is one of the fastest growing expenditures in municipalities across the country. In fact, municipalities are increasingly called upon to enforce laws and provide services that fall within federal jurisdiction, such as border control and cyber crime. The antiquated fiscal framework in which municipalities operate, along with the ad hoc regime that characterizes policing in Canada, means growing competition for scarce municipal resources, forcing local councils to balance competing resources. Using first-hand examples of the off-loading of federal policing responsibilities onto municipal stand-alone police forces, this panel will examine the structure and funding of policing in Canada, and how this has created systemic inefficiencies and inequities, and blurred accountabilities.
At the FCM conference, my TPSB colleague Councillor Pam McConnell, a member of the FCM Board, is chairing a session on Increasing Women’s Participation in Municipal Government. For those who know Councillor McConnell, you will know how important an issue this is to her and how hard she has worked to increase women’s role in government. I am sure that too will be a lively discussion.
Stay tuned for updates following the conference.
