Councillors call for accountability from police following $672M budget boost

Nearly a month after city politicians rubber-stamped London's new multi-year budget, the mayor and two councillors are making a call for more accountability when it comes to the massive, controversial budget request approved for the city's police force.

The budget request, an unprecedented $672 million, includes the hiring of 97 new officers, body-worn cameras, drones, Tasers, a new training facility, and a second light-armoured vehicle.

In a letter to be tabled at next week's strategic priorities and policy committee, Mayor Josh Morgan, Ward 7 Coun. Corrine Rahman, and Ward 11 Coun. Skylar Franke outline several measures they say would strengthen transparency and trust around the police budget.

The three are asking that their council colleagues send the letter, and the list of measures, to the London Police Services Board for discussion and response.

Rahman said the letter is a response to questions they had received from the community.

"We know our limitations as councillors in terms of directing the police force," she said.

"So we want to ensure that we had communication that would sufficiently share the points we needed to about what kind of accountability we were hearing was necessary."

In its business case, police said the additional funds would support several measurable outcomes, like the city's crime severity index, reducing call wait times, and increasing preventative policing, traffic enforcement, and police visibility.

The three say police could provide quarterly reports to council detailing how the money is being used to achieve those outcomes, and engage with the community to gather feedback, through measures like town hall meetings, and by receiving input from diverse stakeholders.

'Enhanced transparency'

Performance metrics could also be established to "evaluate the effectiveness of the police service in crime prevention, addressing crime, ensuring public safety, and upholding community standards," the letter says.

"By implementing these measures, we can ensure that the significant budgetary increase remains accountable to both the council and the community it serves and provides an enhanced transparency as was mentioned repeatedly at Council," the trio's letter reads.

"A lot of the questions that I had asked about were around what the police would be using surplus dollars for," Rahman said.

While police ultimately have control over their reserves, not council, they want to make sure any money is being invested, and that Londoners see the difference, she said.

She noted that what's being asked is similar to other accountability requests her and other councillors have brought to council.

"We have been asking questions for more accountability... to get more information to be able to better understand where our funds are used, especially right now, as we are asking the public for a significant increase."

The approved budget comes with a four-year average increase of 7.5 per cent, with an 8.7 per cent increase in the first year.

CBC News has reached out to London Police Chief Thai Truong and Ali Chahbar, the chair of the London Police Services Board, for comment. 

The police budget increase, the largest in the department's history, was the most controversial of the 74 requests presented to councillors.

Council approved the city's new multi-year budget at a meeting on Feb. 29, during which Rahman and Ward 9 Coun. Anna Hopkins made unsuccessful last-ditch attempts to shave money from the police request.

Two days earlier, dozens of Londoners filled city hall to voice concern about the police budget, arguing that other sectors, like the arts and the library, faced funding cuts or no increase.

In their business case, London police argued that the city had the second-lowest per-capita number of police officers in Ontario, and that police response times were among the worst in the province.