Victoria police chief says dispatch calls on priority basis amid pressures

VICTORIA — The Victoria Police Department is rethinking its priorities after Victoria and Esquimalt councils couldn’t be convinced to increase the police budget.

Chief Const. Del Manak says cost and staff pressures are forcing the department to transform its service delivery model to deploy resources to meet the statutory duties of protecting life and property and enforcing the law in Victoria and Esquimalt.

Manak says major crimes like homicides, assaults and robberies will still receive top priority but patrols of local parks, responses to neighbourhood issues and after hours animal complaints could face delays.

The chief says the department is considering adjusting current patrol units, appointing special constables, who don’t carry guns, to respond to lower priority calls and eliminating police liaison officers at local schools.