It’s already the largest item in the city’s proposed four-year budget, but Edmonton police are seeking even more funding to modernize technology they say is needed to combat increasingly complex crime. The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) is slated to receive a $675-million budget next year, with $567 million funded by the city through a formula that guarantees annual increases tied to inflation and population growth. Administration is recommending council fully fund police operations as requested, including $17 million for arbitrated salary settlements and $5 million for provincially mandated body cameras. What’s not included is an EPS request for an additional $183 million in capital funding over the four-year budget cycle. City administration recommends approving $121 million of that amount. Police Chief Warren Driechel and police commission chair Ben Henderson say they want council to approve the remaining $62 million for technology upgrades when it debates the four-year budget later this month. “While our officers remain committed to serving every corner of the city, the reality is that our resources have not grown at the same pace as the demands being placed upon them,” Driechel told reporters Wednesday. “The funding formula provides important stability, and we appreciate that stability, (but) stability alone does not address growth. More than half of new funding is required simply to maintain existing service levels and absorb rising costs. Without strategic investment, there will come a point where we are unable to meet the growing demands while maintaining the level of service Edmontonians expect.” The challenge mirrors one city staff have highlighted in recent years: rising costs for everything from fuel to software subscriptions mean budgets don’t stretch as far as they once did. Driechel pointed to the cost of outfitting a police cruiser, which was about $65,000 less than five years ago. Today, he said, the price exceeds $100,000. “Reliable vehicles, modernized communication systems, protective equipment, and operational infrastructure may not always be visible to the public, but they are essential to effective policing and everyone’s safety,” he said. Several city councillors say a policing budget of this size warrants close scrutiny. Ward papastew Coun. Michael Janz noted the city’s annual police funding has nearly doubled over the past decade. The proposed $567 million for 2027 is roughly 68 per cent higher than the $337 million budgeted in 2018. “We haven’t doubled the number of officers, so why is that?” Janz said. “Where is the money going, and how do we make sure that those expenditures are doing the right things that people need?” Coun. Erin Rutherford, who represents Ward Anirniq, said Tuesday she continues to hear concerns about police visibility. “I’ve heard time and time again that people are still not seeing EPS in their communities, responding to 911 calls and concerns to the level that I hear Edmontonians expect,” she told reporters. Henderson, a former city councillor, said the funding formula provides stability by accounting for inflation and population growth, but “it does not fully address the increasing complexity of policing or provide flexibility for innovation.” “In practical terms, the funding formula allows EPS to remain stable and continue delivering core services, but requires internal reallocations to fund innovation and focus on areas of strategic interest,” he said. “When additional needs arise, EPS must look internally and reallocate existing resources, and they have already made significant efforts to do this.” With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Jeremy Thompson
