‘Kids can’t play in sandbox,’ says minister who steps into Victoria police feud

VICTORIA – The British Columbia government has stepped into a police funding feud in Victoria and ordered two local councils to hire six new officers.

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says he’s using provincial powers to force Victoria and Esquimalt to hire the officers even though Esquimalt council voted against the plan.

Farnworth says the government’s Police Services Division sent a letter to the mayors of Esquimalt and Victoria saying that policing in the two cities will suffer without the extra officers.

Victoria council voted in favour spending the money on new officers but Esquimalt rejected the cost increase, saying police calls and crime rates are dropping.

Farnworth says the government stepped in because “sometimes the kids can’t play in the sandbox and dad has to come in and say, ‘this is how it’s going to be.’ “

The minister says the government is using the provincial police framework agreement that permits the province to intervene if local governments can’t resolve disputes.