B.C. Solicitor General John van Dongen said yesterday he's open to the idea of replacing the RCMP with a provincial police force.
Van Dongen said he's currently reviewing all options before making a final decision on whether to renew the RCMP's provincial contract, which expires in 2012.
"We remain open to people's suggestions on regionalization, but it is clear that we have to have a certain consensus from mayors who want to go in that direction," van Dongen said. "It is not something that could be successfully implemented by the provincial government alone."
Van Dongen said mayors and the government last looked at the issue formally about 18 months ago. "There certainly didn't appear to be a consensus at that time," he said. "But I know there's certainly some public comment about it right now.
"My pledge to British Columbians is that I will carefully and thoughtfully review all options before making any final decisions."
Robert Hobson, president of the Union of B.C. Municipalities, said his organization is part of negotiations but he hasn't heard of any movement away from the RCMP.
"The province hasn't indicated to us they are considering anything other than renewing the RCMP's contract," he said.
The RCMP provides police services to provinces who contract it through the federal government. Ontario and Quebec have opted to create their own provincial police agencies.
Small B.C. municipalities are automatically policed by the RCMP. As they grow, cities can choose to create their own forces.
But pressure has been mounting for B.C. to set up its own force in the wake of several high-profile cases, including the death of Robert Dziekanski at Vancouver International Airport and the shooting death of Ian Bush inside the Houston RCMP detachment.
Critics have complained about delays in those investigations and the fact the federal force is not subject to oversight by B.C.'s independent Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner.
Rob Gordon, Simon Fraser University's director of the school of criminology, said it's only smart that government enter into negotiations with a Plan B. "I think what may be happening in the internal system of the negotiation process is the RCMP may be saying, 'We either stay or we go, and if you want us here you have to take us as we are, in all our glory, with warts and all. Or we are out of here,'" said Gordon.
It is "theoretically possible" to move toward a provincial force, but it would take a phased-in approach spanning many years to ensure investigations are not disrupted, said Gordon.
Van Dongen said a final decision on the RCMP's contract will be made following the provincial election.
Opposition critic Mike Farnworth said an NDP government would do a thorough analysis of various policing models.
