Editor:
Re: Partnerships help police dep't better serve Delta's residents, Chief's Chats, July 30
I am astounded to hear Chief Jim Cessford is an advocate of partnering with the RCMP and other agencies for certain services such as emergency response teams and K-9 to maximize efficiencies.
I vividly recall during a town hall meeting two years ago that Cessford and Mayor Lois Jackson did not want regional policing.
However, I do believe there already is a form of regional policing. The Delta Police Department sends resources from South Delta when there are regular demands for extra resources in North Delta, thereby leaving the residents of South Delta with less police coverage. Is that not a form of regional policing?
A significant amount of my property taxes go toward police and I demand that officers remain in South Delta to prevent crime 24 hours a day.
In addition, if the police department is contracting out specialty services to other agencies, how does it develop officers to become solid investigators when all they have is patrol? We will lose some of our young officers to larger departments that offer specialty units if we keep watering down the department.
Is that an efficient use of taxpayers' money?
Shaif Manji
