Police budget shielded from cuts

Calgary police will be exempt from any spending cuts this fall after city council did an about-face Monday night, voting to lock in the force's budget after refusing to do so earlier this month.

On July 5, council — looking for ways to trim overall spending — rejected a motion by Mayor Dave Bronconnier that would have guaranteed the final year of the previously approved three-year police budget.

That prompted Calgary police Chief Rick Hanson to cancel two fall recruit classes, saying it didn't make sense to train new officers that the force could not afford to hire.

After a debate that stretched late into Monday night, three aldermen reversed their positions, voting to approve the 2011 police budget.  

"It's my hope that the chief of police and the commission would move forward as quickly as possible and take those dollars and the commitment that they have now from city council and start hiring the recruits," said Bronconnier.

Ald. Bob Hawkesworth said he was persuaded to change his mind after learning that a cut in police spending might result in less money from the province for new officers.

"I don't think when we originally voted on it, we thought that it would have that kind of impact. So we didn't want to jeopardize the provincial money and the potential loss of additional officers that that entailed."

All city departments are being asked to find savings to make up for a $60-million revenue shortfall in this fall's budget.

The Calgary Police Service — the largest single item in the budget — was facing a cut of about five per cent or $14.8 million. Hanson said that would have meant the elimination of 120 positions.

Council had come under fire for its earlier refusal to shield the police budget from cuts.

Five corporate and community groups, including the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, bought a full-page newspaper ad, urging aldermen to reverse the decision.

Protecting the police budget is the best decision in terms of public safety, said police association president John Dooks.

"I'm very happy. It was a very exhaustive discussion, but in the end, with all the information that come forward, you hear both sides of it and the right decision's made."