Vancouver Police Board learned about ‘Task Force Barrage’ through mayor’s announcement, chair says

The oversight body was unaware of a $5 million crime crackdown on the Downtown Eastside before it was announced at a press conference, the chair confirmed.

An oversight body whose role it is to develop the Vancouver Police Department’s budget, wasn’t part of the approval process for a multi-million dollar initiative aimed at targeting crime on the Downtown Eastside.

Frank Chong, the chair of the Vancouver Police Board, said the board learned about the $5 million dollar plan, named ‘Task Force Barrage,’ through Mayor Ken Sim’s press conference with then-chief Adam Palmer in February.

“That was a notification that we found out at during the media announcement,” Chong said.

“And I think that what transpired was that there was a miscommunication and perhaps, some missteps with regards to process.”

Chong said the board is working on rectifying what transpired.

“That was determined by the finance committee that there is a need for sharpening of that particular process, which will be discussed at our governance committee,” he added.

Police Act

The mayor’s announcement, came after the city’s budget was finalized.

As outlined in the B.C. Police Act, the Vancouver Police Board is required to prepare and approve the provisional budget for the following year on an annual basis. Any changes to this budget, per the act, must be submitted to council on or before March 1 of the year to which the provisional budget relates. Chong believes the board did not breach the legislation.

Mayor’s response

Typically, the approval process for an initiative such as Task Force Barrage involves city council sending a request to the police board, which would then discuss the financial implications.

From there, if board members agreed they were wiling to adjust the budget, they would then give approval to the Vancouver Police Department.

CTV News asked Sim in May, why a funding request or proposal was not sent to the police board for approval before the task force was launched.

At the time, Sim said he didn’t know. “Look, I can’t comment on what people know and didn’t know,” he said.

“You’re asking me to comment on what six other individuals knew. I’m not in their mind.”

Critics such as Green Coun. Pete Fry and former board vice-chair Faye Wightman have questioned how Task Force Barrage was approved. Both have pointed to the lack of a paper trail and called it a backroom deal.