Calgary police to double OT and conscription budget in 2023

The Calgary Police Service nearly doubled its overtime and budget in 2023, according to an internal email sent to senior management.

In an email sent in mid-January, the service had budgeted $11.4 million for additional hours in 2023, but spent $22.1 million.

Of that, $15.50 was spent on calls and $5.55 on overtime.

Calls include bringing in an officer to cover a shift to support minimum staffing levels or other police needs.

Budget overruns 'necessary'

The email calls the cost overruns “unacceptable” and asks management to “continue management efforts” on overtime and budget call budgets.

In a statement, CPS attributed the overspending to three main factors: the large number of protests in 2023, additional patrols needed to ensure transit security and increased officer presence at places of worship, schools and other sensitive locations due to the Israel-Hamas war. .

“This has been a year where we have had to continually increase staffing due to unforeseen circumstances, so our budget cannot be impacted,” CPS said in a statement.

“This level of overtime and recall was a necessity.”

Weekly protests

In 2023, a series of protests on the streets of Calgary included rallies in response to the Israel-Hamas war, the annual Dyke and Trans march, and protests at events leading up to the library.

“(Protests) have become increasingly difficult to police throughout the year,” CPS said. “They were larger, more frequent and generally attracted counter-protests, increasing the risk of violence and disorder.”

Calgary police conducted an operation last fall involving outreach workers and officers working together at CTrain stations. (Calgary Police Service)

Number. 8th Ward Rep. Courtney Walcott called 2023 a “one-off year” when it comes to protests.

“Honestly, I'm not worried,” Walcott said of CPS spending on overtime and calls. “2023 was a one-off year due to some significant events, primarily overtime monitoring.”

The story continues

In 2023, the increase in crime and disorder in and around public transportation did not spare CPS officers either.

In a year-end interview, Chief Mark Neufeld said about 3,300 criminal cases were filed and 5,400 warrants were executed in and around transit.

The new transit safety strategy will see Calgary police officers coordinate with transit peace officers, security guards and community outreach teams.

OT rate “unsustainable”

The Calgary Police Commission, which manages the police force and provides civilian oversight, blamed the pandemic for “significantly” reducing recruitment numbers and hurting employees and their families, resulting in higher turnover rates.

“These factors, along with the high number of officers on leave, have created a shortage of staff and increased the workload in the organization, which must be managed by offering staff overtime,” the commission said in a statement.

Officers outside drag brunch in January 2023. Protesters and counter-protesters gathered outside a lounge in northeast Calgary. (Tom Ross/CBC)

While the commission said the overspending was offset by savings in other areas of the police budget, it acknowledged that excessive working hours were “harmful to staff health and unsustainable”.

The commission says the service is addressing staffing shortages by expanding educational institutions. The council and commission also approved 154 new positions in the 2023-26 budget.

In addition, the province announced in December that CPS would receive $8 million in funding to hire 50 new officers.

It is unclear whether the volume of protests and rallies will remain high in 2024, but the 7th District. Overtime and on-call police budget increases will fall to the Calgary Police Commission, Terry Wong said.

“That assessment should be done by the police commission,” Wong said.

CPS' total operating budget for 2023 was $563 million.