As Victoria’s 2025-2029 Draft Financial Plan was approved last week, some residents had hoped their city council would push back more on the proposed increases to VicPD’s budget requests.
Initially, VicPD submitted a provisional budget increase of 9.71% last October, but in the final 2025-2029 Draft Financial Plan, the increase was set at 10.41%.
This means that in 2025 alone, their budget will be increased by $7,755,800, to a total of $82,262,630.
This puts VicPD’s budget at around 25% of Victoria’s total expenditures, which is more than any other department overseen by the City.
A grassroots group in Victoria who have been avidly campaigning to support the Greater Victoria School District (SD61) in their decision to end the school police liaison officer (SPLO) program, were unhappy with this amount being allocated to VicPD.
To try and share their frustrations over the police budget, the group, ‘No 2 SPLOs SD61,’ campaigned to have the budget lowered prior to the Draft Financial Plan being implemented.
In their campaign, they asked people to write to the mayor and council and share why money being set aside for the police should go to other services.
“It is embarrassing that Victoria council capitulated to VicPD and the police board, despite asking them to reduce their draft budget and VicPD refusing,” said No 2 SPLOs SD61 in a statement to Victoria Buzz.
“At a quarter of the city’s budget with no meaningful oversight from council, and a potential $22 million, 38% increase in 5 years, the city is effectively captured by the police.”
However, in 2023, the City fought against and denied VicPD’s budget request, only to have the Victoria Esquimalt Police Board appeal to the BC government.
The appeal results were received by Victoria just this year and the Province sided with the Board, which will impact both the 2025 and 2026 VicPD budget.
While addressing VicPD’s budget request in a Draft Financial Plan meeting on Thursday, February 27th, Councillor David Thompson noted the concerns that No 2 SPLOs SD61 had.
“As I look at [the VicPD budget request], I know I’m going to hear from the public about this,” said Thompson.
He noted that he anticipated people writing to him, asking why the money wasn’t going towards supporting unhoused people, the arts or recreation, instead of police.
“I wanted to speak to this in case any of those people are listening, or watching today and the answer is that the police budget really isn’t up to council,” continued Thompson.
“We have what I call legacy legislation because it’s something we didn’t create, we inherited, the police board inherited, the Province inherited—this is old legislation that basically means that anytime we disagree with what the [police] board has proposed, it goes to an appeal and a bureaucrat makes the decision.”
He concluded by saying that although he could not abstain from the vote on the VicPD budget, he would not be raising his hand in favour of, or against the motion to approve their budget.
However, he noted that he is aware that by not voting, his vote would be counted in affirmation of the motion.
Mayor Marianne Alto added context to this matter when Councillor Caradonna asked what would happen if city council denied VicPD the funds they were asking for.
She said if council voted not to approve the VicPD budget request, the Victoria Esquimalt Police Board would appeal the denial.
“I suspect that if we reject the entire amount, they would appeal that immediately to the Province, and I would also suspect—and this is conjecture on my part—that it would be made quite expeditiously.”
Caradonna noted that every single other department came back to council with cuts when asked to, except VicPD, who actually increased their request.
Ultimately, the VicPD budget request was approved with all but Councillors Caradonna and Susan Kim in opposition.
No 2 SPLOs SD61’s statement concluded by saying that they wish there had been more pushback to the request amongst the council, regardless of the appeal process.
“Even though the province has the final say over disputed police budget items, it’s council’s responsibility to push back against unchecked spending and harm caused by the police,” said No 2 SPLOs SD61.
