Langley City Rejects Langley Township’s Unfair RCMP Cost-Sharing Demand

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 7, 2025

Langley City, B.C. – Langley City has made numerous attempts to renew the Police Servicing Agreement with Langley Township prior to and after its expiry on December 31, 2022. This agreement, which has been in place since 2007 and renewed every five years, outlines how policing resources, including RCMP members and support staff, are cost-shared between the two communities like other shared RCMP services in the Metro Vancouver region. Despite the City’s best efforts, it has been unable to reach a new negotiated agreement with the Township. The City received a proposal from the Township on November 26, 2024, with terms that the City believes places an undue burden on Langley City taxpayers to fund policing in both communities.

“The City rejects the Township’s latest proposal because it simply amounts to bullying tactics, with unilateral terms that are not based on evidence by experts in policing or regional best practices for cost-sharing based on crime rate and population,” said Mayor Nathan Pachal.

Langley City is committed to maintaining the current RCMP cost-sharing agreement with the Township until May 10, 2025, ensuring continued benefits for both communities.

In addition to the Police Servicing Agreement, the two municipalities also share the costs for the RCMP detachment building, which was jointly built and has been used since 1993. Langley City is committed to negotiating a fair and reasonable agreement for the capital and operating costs for the detachment building after May 10, 2025. “It is neither reasonable, nor will it provide safe and effective policing for both communities, if the Township evicts Langley City RCMP members and support staff from the detachment building in May 2025,” said Mayor Pachal. “We want to negotiate a solution that allows our RCMP members and staff to remain in the building until an alternate solution can be found.”

Langley City remains hopeful that an equitable arrangement can be reached that benefits both communities. “Our priority continues to be collaboration, community safety, and responsible management of taxpayer dollars,” added Mayor Pachal.

Media Inquiries:

Mayor Nathan Pachal
604.514.2801
npachal@langleycity.ca

A Longstanding Shared Policing Partnership Between Langley City and Township

Langley City and Langley Township have operated as separate municipalities for almost 70 years, with policing services for both communities provided by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) under a shared contract. Both communities are served by the Langley RCMP detachment, functioning in an integrated, seamless model that combines resources to deliver effective policing.

Langley City has been clear that there is no compelling reason, financial or operational, to de-integrate the current integrated Langley RCMP detachment. The BC RCMP “E” Division De-Integration Assessment report for the Langley Township and Langley City supports this view, highlighting that de-integration would:

• Compromise public and officer safety;
• Require additional RCMP members and staff;
• Create inefficiencies and higher costs for both municipalities and their residents; and
• Limit the ability to share intelligence and resources across jurisdictions, reducing the effectiveness of integrated policing across local, provincial and federal policing units.

Langley City pays its fair share of policing costs when comparing the proportionate share of the police costs attributed to Langley City versus the percentage of criminal offences and number of people who live in each community.

Two Key Agreements Outline Cost-Sharing for Policing Services

There are two key agreements that outline the cost-sharing structure for policing services between Langley City and Langley Township:

1. Police Servicing Agreement (2007)

Established in 2007, this agreement outlines how the cost of RCMP members is shared between Langley City and Langley Township.

2. Capital and Operations Cost-Sharing Agreement (1993)

Established in 1993, this agreement between Langley City and Langley Township attributes the proportionate sharing of capital construction and operational costs related to the Langley RCMP detachment building, including capital costs, equipment, and ongoing operational expenses. The cost-sharing of the municipal staff is also outlined in this agreement.

These two agreements have allowed both municipalities to access cost-effective, stable, effective, and efficient policing services, with shared resources and joint facilities.

Cost-Sharing Model Based on Long-Established Regional Standards

The issue of equitable financial contribution by the respective municipalities to the integrated RCMP detachment was raised by Langley Township as early as 2002.

While the Capital and Operations Cost Sharing Agreement attributes the costs in relation to the main RCMP detachment building and the support staff to each municipality, no formula existed to account for Langley Township’s concerns with the evolving makeup of each community. Langley Township’s concern was that Langley City has become a core city destination with a relatively stable population base and taking up policing resources. However, Langley City’s concern was that Langley Township has moved from a predominantly rural community to a diverse collection of smaller communities with significant growth potential which will require additional policing resources.

Both municipalities were able to work through the issues and differences and with the recommendation by the Langley RCMP, a cost-sharing formula was established under the Police Servicing Agreement that adequately represents the two municipality’s populations and policing needs. This agreement came into effect on September 1, 2007.

The cost-sharing formula is modelled after the regional RCMP Integrated Homicide Investigative Team (IHIT) funding formula, which has been the Lower Mainland RCMP District cost-sharing standard for over 20 years. The Police Servicing Agreement has been renewed every five years since 2007, until December 31, 2022.

At the end of each year, the costs paid by each municipality to the federal government are added up. A cost-sharing formula is then applied, based on 25% population and 75% of a five-year average of Criminal Code cases. This can result in one municipality owing money to the other.

There was also a ‘Gateway’ formula established for increasing the number of RCMP members and it is based on:

• 75% of the 5-year rolling average criminal code cases above the standard of 90 cases per officer for the combined detachment; and
• 25% based on the combined population above the standard 1:700 police to population ratio.

In reaching an agreement of the cost-sharing formula, both municipalities considered cost-sharing formulas from other local integrated police jurisdictions. For example, the North Vancouver (North Vancouver City and North Vancouver District) RCMP’s cost sharing formula was based on per capita costs, the Coquitlam (Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam) RCMP’s cost sharing formula was based on the number of dispatched calls for service and population, and the Ridge Meadows (Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows) RCMP’s police resources were based on the resource levels as determined by each municipality independently. Additionally, both municipalities recognized that there was not a “one size fits all” solution for an integrated police model.

Langley City Seeks Renewal of Police Servicing Agreement with Langley Township

Over the last two years, Langley City has made multiple attempts to renew the Police Servicing Agreement with Langley Township. These attempts were made prior to the expiry of the agreement on December 31, 2022, and after the expiry of the agreement. Even with an expired agreement and without a contractual agreement that defines the cost-sharing arrangement, Langley City processed the 2023 payment as an act of good faith.

On November 26, 2024, Langley Township’s legal counsel sent a new agreement to Langley City’s legal counsel that unilaterally changed the cost-sharing formula. Langley City believes this agreement imposes unreasonable and unjustified demands. Additionally, the acceptance of the new agreement is conditional on Langley City agreeing to the de-integration of the Langley RCMP detachment, which Langley City categorially rejects as this would require additional costs to both municipalities, but more importantly, create inefficiencies that would not be conducive to community safety.

Langley City rejects the new agreement. However, the pre-existing terms of the Police Servicing Agreement will be honoured for the delivery of policing services until May 2025.

Langley Township Serves Termination Notice of the Capital and Operations Cost-Sharing Agreement Without Prior Discussion

Langley City and Langley Township entered into a Capital and Operations Cost-Sharing Agreement in 1993 after the completion of the new Langley RCMP detachment. This agreement outlines how the construction and operating costs of the Langley RCMP detachment are shared proportionately between the two municipalities, based on the use and occupancy of their respective RCMP members and support staff.

The agreement provides each municipality with the ability to terminate the agreement by serving written notice to invoke the two-year termination notice provision.

Without prior notice, discussion or rationale offered to Langley City, Langley Township served the two-year termination notice to Langley City on May 10, 2023. The agreement will expire on May 10, 2025. This decision by Langley Township, in effect, will force the physical separation of the Langley RCMP detachment. To continue to provide safe and effective policing to both communities, the decision taken by Langley Township is premature and should only be considered when the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General decides the future of the integrated Langley RCMP Detachment.

Even if Langley City initiates the process to build our own RCMP Detachment, the process will take multiple years. Langley City is willing to negotiate a fair and equitable agreement with Langley Township to allow our RCMP members and support staff to remain in the building until alternate solutions can be considered and implemented.

Separation Would Lead to Operational Challenges and Costly Duplications

In 2007, the concept of separating the Langley RCMP detachment was contemplated during the exploration of the Police Servicing Agreement.

At that time, the Langley RCMP commented that it does not make sense to fracture the existing organization from an operational perspective. The crimes, criminals and social issues within Langley City and Langley Township are so inter-mingled that working in a coordinated, integrated fashion provides the best chances of success. The ability to share intelligence, information, and resources allows for a fluid, seamless operations that benefits both contracting partners and our communities.

As one detachment, Langley RCMP can respond with the critical numbers necessary to solve crime and respond to local emergencies.

Separation into two detachments would also call for the duplication of a number of key management positions including the Officer in Charge and the Operations Support management staff (NCO’s).

In addition, a number of essential operations would have to be established at a new detachment, including jail cells, computer services, court liaison, exhibits, front counter, readers, records, radio room (complaint takers/dispatchers), transport, and victim services.

In 2024, the BC RCMP “E” Division completed a De-Integration Assessment for the Langley Township and the Langley City report that considered three service delivery options:

1. remain fully integrated with a modified police service agreement.
2. create two autonomous detachments with limited shared services; and
3. create two fully autonomous detachments.

The report highlighted that the autonomous detachments would require additional RCMP members and support staff to cover for the efficiencies that an integrated model allows and at additional costs to the taxpayers of both communities. From a public safety perspective, there cannot be a reliance on routine mutual assistance to cover calls for service between Langley Township and Langley City.