Ordered budget savings shortfall ahead, police warn

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This article was published 31/05/2021 (1207 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THE Winnipeg Police Service’s bottom line is taking another pandemic hit, with revenues expected to fall a few million dollars short by the end of the year.

Police now expect to raise about $9.6 million in photo radar revenue throughout 2021, down from a budget projection of $15.4 million, according to a first-quarter financial update.

That’s a key component of the revenue loss, leading police to warn they won’t find $6.1 million of savings this year, as they were directed to do in the 2021 budget.

“(Police are) still trying to find another $4 million in efficiencies to meet the (annual) budget,” Coun. Markus Chambers, chairman of the Winnipeg Police Board, said Monday. “They’re going to continue to work to find those savings.”

WPS was directed to find $5.1 million of savings this year to make up for police pension changes, then reduce an additional $1 million of other costs.

Council originally expected a unilateral decision to overhaul the police pension plan would save millions of dollars. Instead, the city backed off those changes after an arbitrator ruled they would breach collective agreements.

Police do expect about $2 million of savings from salaries and benefits to offset some revenue losses. That’s largely because a higher-than-expected number of experienced officers will leave the service this year, allowing new hires to replace them at lower, entry-level salaries, said Chambers.

He noted the drop in photo radar revenue echoes a similar trend last year, since pandemic restrictions continue to keep many people off the roads.

With strict lockdowns measures still in place and many Winnipeggers being asked to work from home, Chambers said it’s not clear if that revenue could rebound much by the end of 2021.

“The service is going to do everything it can to find the savings needed to keep within budget, but (we need to recognize) that we’re already halfway through the year,” he said.

Chambers said the pandemic also raises a risk of increased overtime costs, should illness and/or isolation rules force some officers to stay home and others to cover their shifts.

Winnipeg Police Service did not grant an interview request Monday, noting Chief Danny Smyth will speak on the financial update at Friday’s Winnipeg Police Board meeting.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga