The Township of Langley Council has voted to de-integrate the Langley RCMP so that Township of Langley has a standalone detachment. Currently, the Langley RCMP serves both the Township and the City of Langley through a cost and resource sharing agreement between the two communities.   

This decision would be a major change to policing in Langley, a key priority and concern for our business community.  It also would have financial impacts for both the Township and the City – both one-time and ongoing – which could further upward pressure on property taxes, which are disproportionately paid by business.   The Langley Chamber will continue to engage on this issue to understand any potential impacts of this transition on our business community. 

The Issue:

The Township maintains that its own detachment would ensure more policing resources and attention are dedicated to the Township, and pointing out that the Township has funded an additional 33 new officers since 2009 whereas the City has authorized 1.    The City says it pays its fair share for policing, and that with 1 officer per 558 people it far surpasses the benchmark of 1 officer per 700 people.  The City argues that the partnership serves both communities and Langley public safety well.

Currently, the Township is budgeting to spend $39 million on policing this year, while the City will spend $15.5 million.  The policing costs include both RCMP officers and detachment services, capital assets and administration, with the cost-sharing amounts determined through a formula based on population and volume of criminal cases. 

More Info

Read the Township of Langley's statement here > 
Read the City of Langley's response > 

Your Input

Have thoughts?  Share your input with the Chamber here >