The Port Moody Police Board has put the clamps on a string of significant budget increases to the city's policing costs.
Police board member Robert Simons and Chief Const. Chris Rattenbury presented the 2014 policing budget to Port Moody council Tuesday night. The budget calls for a 2.19% increase to the $9.2 million budgeted by the city in 2013.
"It's significantly better," said Mayor Mike Clay, pointing to previous budgets containing increases of anywhere between 4 and 7%.
Nearly half of the $201,625 increase in the budget will be used to cover the city's contribution to the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT), which will shift from the disbanded unit of Vancouver Police Services to one operated through the RCMP.
"If we hadn't had the IHIT change this year and we stayed with VPD then we'd be at the 1.26% or a $116,000 [increase]," said Clay.
Most of the remaining increase will be used to cover the $103,000 cost for an additional officer in 2014 that will bring the city's complement to 51 members.
