Kelowna, B.C., has the most RCMP officers in Canada — but it’s thinking of ditching the force

Kelowna, B.C., which hosts the largest RCMP detachment in Canada, is exploring the possibility of ditching the national police force.

The city has issued a request for bids, seeking a company to conduct a review of its current policing model and compare it to a municipal police force.

The review will recommend the “optimal model” for Kelowna based on factors including value for service and capacity to meet future demands, the city said in procurement documents.

It follows a March report from the federal government that focused on “modernizing the RCMP” and suggested that the national police force begin transitioning away from providing contract policing to municipalities.

“The expiration of current Police Services Agreements in 2032 presents the first opportunity for implementing this next phase of policing in Canada,” the federal report said.

Kelowna is the largest city in B.C.’s Okanagan region and is “rapidly growing,” according to Kelowna community safety director Darren Caul. It has a current population of about 160,000 people, and is projected to reach 210,000 residents by 2040.

“We need to ensure that our community’s priority for safety and a livable Kelowna persists now and into the future. This is about proactive planning and it’s about being fiscally responsible,” Caul said of the requested review, speaking with CBC’s Daybreak South host Chris Walker.

The city said it is facing more social issues, as well.

“Like all Canadian cities, Kelowna has grappled in recent years with homelessness arising from a national housing crisis. Livability, crime and safety are top concerns for Kelowna businesses, residents, and City Council,” the city said in its procurement documents. 

Kelowna’s decision to explore a municipal force comes just months after Surrey, B.C., completed its transition to a municipal-run police service. The move, which was the biggest policing transition in Canadian history, came after years of divisive debate between the provincial government and the city. 

Kelowna is home to the Central Okanagan RCMP regional hub, which serves Peachland, West Kelowna, Kelowna, Lake Country, Westbank First Nation and a portion of Okanagan Lake, according to the city.

The hub consists of about 325 regular members and 130 municipal employees, making it the largest RCMP detachment in Canada. 

The regional municipalities and the RCMP are “actively de-regionalizing” over the next year, the City of Kelowna said, as cities take more responsibility over their own policing needs. There will be several new RCMP detachment commanders in the region, shifting away from having one central detachment.

Once that’s completed, the Kelowna RCMP detachment will be the third largest in the country, with about 250 regular members and 110 municipal employees, the city said.

The city noted that it has invested in public safety at “unprecedented levels” in recent years. Caul said in an interview that the city spent