Will there be a review of the 800 Vancouver cops earning more than $100,000 a year?

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      Today (March 16), the Toronto Star reported more than half of Toronto Police Service (TPS) employees are earning more than $100,000 a year.

      According to a database of public-sector salaries, 4,125 Toronto police officers took home six-figure salaries in 2014.

      That’s prompted the civilian police board to request that Chief Bill Blair conduct a review of staff compensation.

      A quick look at Vancouver Police Department numbers reveals the same situation here in B.C.’s largest city.

      On February 18, the Straight reported that the number of Vancouver cops earning over $100,000 doubled over the course of the last five years.

      In 2008, 347 VPD employees earned six-figures, according to remuneration documents released on an annual basis. Five years later, 794 officers made more than $100,000 per year.

      According to the VPD’s latest annual report, in 2013 the force employed 1,716 people (including both sworn and civilian members).

      That puts the proportion of VPD officers paid more than a hundred grand a year at 46 percent.

      Police (and firefighter) salaries have come to cost the City of Vancouver so much that in its budget for 2015, they're listed as accounting for one percent of a 2.4-percent property-tax increase.

      “It is anticipated that this pressure will continue in future years as public safety arbitrated results continue to drive costs higher than inflation and other bargaining units,” that document adds.

      Looking at the trajectory of past VPD wage increases, it’s obvious it won’t be long before Vancouver passes the same 50-percent threshold that Toronto is talking about today.

      Will there be a review of VPD salaries?

      Comments

      5 Comments

      4 on, 4 off

      Mar 16, 2015 at 4:06pm

      This is what made the Chu pro-Transit tax presser the other day even more laughable. Maybe if he wasn’t bankrupting the city for his own benefit there would be more money for other things like Transit.

      frances

      Mar 16, 2015 at 4:47pm

      It is ridiculous.
      Whenever I'm at Superstore on Marine Drive, there's a firetruck outside & the crew are in the store, picking up their milk and cookies for the day. Can't they get it delivered?

      Compare

      Mar 16, 2015 at 7:10pm

      With all due respect, because I appreciate the skill needed to produce a literate publication, how much do editors make a year? And how often do they risk their lives, save lives, and see/smell/touch/hear things more unspeakable than a misplaced modifier? I appreciate police are on 'the public dime', but they do a damn good job and are, in my view, worth every penny.

      Finbarr Saunders

      Mar 26, 2015 at 2:23pm

      @Compare

      With all due respect to your reference to police risking their lives, the job of police officer doesn't even show up in the rankings when you look at the most dangerous professions. Statistically pizza delivery people are at greater risk than police officers. Police are so far down the list they don't even appear.

      Anonymous

      Mar 26, 2015 at 11:33pm

      The VPD are less important than our RCMP and army, but they make more money. So now you want more money from the poor peoples... No more property tax increasement. Lower there salary then so you can lower our tax.