Provincial cuts to Regina police 'not helpful', mayor says

Regina's mayor is expressing concern about provincial government cuts to the police budget that could hurt efforts to recruit Indigneous officers.

"Well, this is not helpful, this change," Mayor Michael Fougere said in an interview with CBC News.

According to the city police budget documents that will be submitted to Regina city council Monday night, provincial programs are providing $6.27 million in 2017 — $540,000 less than the previous budget.

Provincial funding for three positions is being cut:

• Aboriginal policing co-ordinator ($150,000).
• Provincial Aboriginal recruiting officer ($110,000).
• Fraud investigator — Social Services ($111,400).

The city appreciates the support it gets from the federal and provincial governments, but will have to reallocate resources to keep these positions going, he said.

"These are priority areas, particular for recruiting for Indigenous people," he said.

"We're backfilling because this is a critical component for police services recruitment. We don't want to miss that activity. One way or another we will fill that position."

Recruitment program wasn't getting results, province says

Justice ministry spokesman Drew Wilby said the Aboriginal police co-ordinator position was a three-year contract that ended in August. The government is still committed to boosting the numbers of Indigenous police officers, he said.

The Aboriginal recruiter program was put on hold because it wasn't getting results, he said, adding that only 25 First Nations officers have gone through the province's police college in the past 10 years. 

"This program really wasn't achieving what it was designed to do," he said.

A spokesperson with the Social Services ministry said funding was cut to the social assistance fraud position because the government has improved its controls and practices to prevent abuse of the system.

Cases of suspected social assistance fraud will continue to be turned over to the RCMP and municipal police services, spokesman Andrew Dinsmore said in an email to CBC News.

Provincial funding accounts for only about 7.3 per cent of the total Regina police budget.

The gross operating budget for the police for 2017 is pegged at $84.5 million.