Four months after Esquimalt was ordered by the province to stick with VicPD for its policing services, a report compiled by its own advisory panel shows why the township was so upset.
The May 2011 report, released last week under the Freedom of Information Act, scored the RCMP’s policing proposal at 84 out of 100; VicPD scored only 45.
“The panel went through a very diligent process … and the scoring came out such that the RCMP were the preferred proponent,” said Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins.
The report showed “significant cost differences” between the two policing proposals, she said.
Desjardins is now focused on a provincially mandated negotiation with mediator Lee Doney to reach a framework agreement with the province, the City of Victoria and the Victoria police board.
“Trying to get all of the parties together is extremely challenging,” she said. “Mayor (Dean) Fortin’s been away for two weeks in China. I know we are just working as hard as possible to make sure things are moving forward.”
Esquimalt spent $160,000 for the work of its policing advisory panel, a cost the province will not cover.
No deadline has been set for the policing framework agreement, but Desjardins remains cautiously optimistic about its outcome.
dpalmer@vicnews.com
