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New RCMP detachment process flawed

Here we have a project driven by the RCMP and Ottawa
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New RCMP detachment process flawed

AAPs are the best way to get approval, or should I say prevent defeat, of a local government initiative. Yes they do succeed sometimes but more rarely than they fail.

However, the issue is bigger than that. Here we have a project driven by the RCMP and Ottawa and basically forced on the residents of North Cowichan.

The project itself is conceived in complete error. The nature of the police services that will be housed in the opulent facility clearly indicate it should be a project paid for by the federal government and the provincial government and the usual tax assessment for each jurisdiction served would be assessed in the usual manner on a yearly basis. NOT shoved down the throat of the municipality with a threat to charge, held over its head.

So, in addition to a project wrongly conceived and wrongly playing out what are the facts that show just how bad this project is?

Firstly the property itself, good farm land, (but that’s another letter) was purchased in two lots at a total cost of $2.2 million or $440,000 per acre. As far as I know these numbers are not talked about in the number of $48 million being publicized in the media. I also understand the municipality already has a debt of $19 million plus now an additional $19 million will be added to the municipality’s debt load as the 40 per cent cost of the new facility born by the muni. Money aside, we also have the failures in the flawed AAP process. It is my understanding that when the blank AAP forms were put into the postal system they were described in such a way as to be interpreted as flyers, therefore many households did not receive one, particularly if they had indicated to the postal service they did not wish to receive flyers (junk mail).

What I’m trying to point out is whether or not the new RCMP facilities are needed or not is another question. What I’m saying is every part of the process from beginning to end is full of errors and should be returned to the beginning with proper decisions being made, funding formulas properly figured out and a much clearer involvement with the taxpaying community before the decision is reached. Not to mention the fact that the location is wong, wrong, wrong. There are at least two other locations much better located and are right on the highway for ease of access.

I almost forgot to mention the fact that Surrey is moving to change to local police services instead of the RCMP. I wonder why? Costs? And then there is the idea floating around in the U.S. to defund police services, Just saying!

Jack Peake

Duncan