Halifax police commission approves budget after hours of debate

It took almost three hours of debate, but Halifax's Board of Police Commissioners approved a revised police budget Thursday night.

Regional council rejected the original proposal on Feb. 25.

The latest version is for a total of $89.2 million, which is only a 0.43 per cent increase over the existing budget.

The proposed list for new personnel is shorter. It includes 12 patrol officers, three part-time 911 operators and an investigator for hate crimes.

Chief Dan Kinsella told the board that the new positions are needed to reduce overtime and improve services.

"We're trying to take an informed, reasonable approach," said Kinsella.

Debate bogged down when Harry Critchley, one of the commissioners, tried to change the list of positions.

Critchley wanted to reduce the number of patrol officers to eight in order to hire four full-time 911 operators and add a position to victim services.

Kinsella objected to the amendment. He said it was out of order because it would mean the board was straying into police operations.

But, according to HRM lawyer Martin Ward, the board does have jurisdiction over the complement of police officers and civilian employees.

Critchley withdrew his motion after Coun. Becky Kent tried to have the debate deferred. Jacques Dubé, HRM's chief administrative officer, jumped in at that point to say there was no "wiggle room" in budget scheduling.

The revised police budget will go back to regional council for more debate on Friday.

Meanwhile, Critchley plans to call for an independent legal opinion on the board's powers at the next board meeting on March 21.