Hamilton police proposing a 2.79% budget increase

Hamilton Police Service is asking for 2.79 per cent more from the city of Hamilton than it did last year, up $4.2 million over its 2015 budget — with a marked increase in its "community mobilization division."

The service proposes a draft budget of $164.1 million, $10.9 million of which comes from sources other than tax dollars.

It asks for a staffing increase of the full-time equivalent of 7.5 employees – including officers for the persons in crisis unit, one officer for the crimes against seniors unit, one officer for the victims services unit and 2.5 civilians for the employee wellness program.

The service wouldn't comment on budget specifics on Monday, saying it's waiting until Friday, when the police services board will talk about it. 

The budget also includes a $1,000 increase in meeting materials and event supplies, and a $3,000 increase in media relations training in the office of Chief Glenn De Caire. 

Salaries and benefits account for a 2.4-per cent increase. The budget also includes a savings of $636,448 because the province uploaded court security costs.

The police services board will ask questions about the budget on Friday, when it could approve it or send it back to De Caire for more work. Then Hamilton city council will approve or reject it.

The budget increase is the lowest in 17 years, lower than last year's increase of 2.95 per cent.

"We've worked very hard to get it down to one of the lowest budgets ever," said Lloyd Ferguson, an Ancaster city councillor and police board chair.

Here are some other highlights:

• Horticulture and landscaping costs have increased by tens of thousands of dollars after a tender to provide the services came in higher than previous years. And it's not a small cost. Landscaping for the marine unit building, for example, increased 1,583 per cent over last year, or from $980 to $16,500.
• The budget reflects a $2,000 savings by sending the BEAR unit (Break and Enter, Auto Theft and Robbery) to fewer conferences. Last year, Coun. Terry Whitehead, also a police services board member, questioned the number of conferences that board members attended.
• The budget proposes $8,000 more in marine rescue equipment, from $1,950 last year to $9,950 this year. Ferguson says he plans to propose removing that item and making ice rescue the sole job of the fire department.
• The budget includes a $26,485 increase in ammunition costs. North America is in the midst of an ammunition shortage that Hamilton police say has hit them too.