Moncton council eyes $9.5M increase in police budget

Moncton council discussed whether to spend millions of dollars more on protective services as the city's 2025 budget meetings continued on Wednesday.

The city's protective services department includes bylaw enforcement, fire department and the RCMP contract.

"We talked a lot yesterday about growth in the municipality, and with growth obviously comes demand for service," Jeff Preston, the department's general manager, told council Wednesday.

"And we're also dealing with, as we all know, a lot of social issues, which also is contributing to ... demand for service."

A $9.5-million increase for policing is one of the largest spending hikes in the city's proposed $223.8-million operating budget.

That increase includes money to add 17 more police officers in Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview. It would increase the budgeted number of officers from 156 this year to 173. 

The 17 Mounties are part of a three-year plan by the Codiac Regional Policing Authority, the civilian board overseeing Codiac RCMP, to add 46 officers. 

The budget also earmarks funds to hire five municipal employees in supporting roles for Codiac.

Councillors questioned how the added staff would affect crime rates, police visibility and traffic enforcement. 

RCMP Supt. Benoit Jolette, Codiac's commanding officer, said it would help address crime against people and property and would help solve cases. 

"We're really good at getting to the calls really quickly and placing people in custody, laying charges," Jolette said. 

"But where we're struggling is that follow-up, doing all those neighbourhood inquiries, checking for video and all that, increasing our solvability rate."

He said freeing up patrol officers from longer-term tasks would allow them to do other work in the community. 

"By the middle to the end of 2025 … I foresee a dramatic increase in the amount of traffic tickets that we're going to be issuing because the members are going to have more time," Jolette said.

Several councillors said they hope the province and health authorities increase spending on addictions and mental health services, including increasing the operating hours for a mobile mental health crisis unit, to address social issues that factor into crime. 

"I can accept this year that we require extra officers so that we can take some pressure too off the existing officers," Coun. Charles Leger said, adding he hopes there's a future discussion about other ways to address crime. 

The budget discussion Wednesday also included the city's fire department. The spending plan includes hiring four more firefighters and increasing the minimum number on duty from 21 to 22. 

Fire Chief Conrad Landry said the increase will mean a second firefighter on a rescue truck when responding to medical calls. 

A fire department master plan is under development that will look at how many staff the city needs, how many fire stations and how much equipment, as well as other aspects of its operation. 

"It's going to be quite comprehensive," Landry said.

That report is expected to be completed in the first few months of 2025.

However, no money to implement possible recommendations has been included in the budget, staff told council. 

Councillors are expected to vote Thursday on whether to approve the budget.