Photo: Madison Reeve/file

Police outside the TD Bank in Rutland's Plaza 33 Feb. 1, 2024.

The City of Kelowna is set to begin a comprehensive review of how policing is delivered in the city.

A request for qualifications issued by the city this week seeks to find a company qualified to conduct a review of its current RCMP-based policing model and compare it to a municipal force.

The review comes on the heels of a federal government report on policing in Canada with an eye toward “modernizing the RCMP.”

The report suggests the RCMP begin moving away from contracted services like those provided to Kelowna and other communities across the country.

“The expiration of current Police Services Agreements in 2032 presents the first opportunity for implementing this next phase of policing in Canada,” the federal report stated.

“The work to define provincial needs and solutions should begin now.

“The provinces have the needed expertise and knowledge of their jurisdictions and community safety needs – and should be on a path to fully exercise their responsibilities over policing.”

Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas acknowledged the report played a role in the need to review locally.

Dyas added the review helps ensure the taxpayers are receiving the best value for money from contracted services.

“We are planning for the future needs of our city. We continue to have great confidence, trust and respect in all of our hard working RCMP members, but we recognize how quickly this city is growing,” said Dyas.

“That we are home to one of the largest RCMP detachments in Canada.”

The city has set aside $250,000 for the review with the potential of awarding an additional $100,000 to “complete work of similar scope and size.”

The city states the review will analyze the “unique needs of the city” in assessing both options and recommend the optimal model based on four criteria.

• Value for service
• Governance and decision-making structures
• Responsiveness to community needs and expectations
• Capacity to meet future service demands

“The consultant will deliver a comprehensive report with findings and recommendations, addressing qualitative, quantitative and financial aspects of each model,” the city said.

The concept of a municipal police force in Kelowna is not a new one. In 2011 during negotiations on a new RCMP agreement between the province and the feds, then mayor Sharon Shepherd said it was not the time for a municipal force, stating the costs were "quite staggering."

During those negotiations, the federal government threatened to withdraw the RCMP if the province didn't sign an agreement.

Dyas expects a final report with recommendations will land on council’s desk sometime in early 2026.

The city currently allocates about 26 per cent of yearly taxation to policing costs.