Riot probe steals Richmond cop
City council is demanding the province pay for the cost of seconding a Richmond RCMP officer to the City of Vancouver to aid in the riot investigation.
"It was done basically, in my opinion, by the RCMP without consultation," said Coun. Bill McNulty. "We kind of found out after the fact."
A Richmond officer has been sent to Vancouver to assist police there in investigating a massive riot that broke out in downtown Vancouver following Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final. Officers in six other municipalities have done the same.
The six-month posting will cost Richmond up to $75,000, not including a required police cruiser or overtime costs to do the officer's work here.
It's not clear if the RCMP volunteered its services or whether Vancouver requested it, according to a report from city general manager Phyllis Carlyle.
It's common for a neighbouring municipality to provide complementary resources to another city during emergency events—such as the night of the riot. But this latest action is an exception, Carlyle said.
City council is asking the solicitor general to pay Richmond's bill, and in a resolution, is advising RCMP brass that Richmond doesn't support such deals unless full costs are paid.
Apart from salary cost, McNulty suggested the Richmond officer's investigation may stretch well beyond six months.
"He will be the expert witness in reviewing videos and may have to testify in court," he said. "This may go on for a year or two. They're just starting in on the files to bring these people to task."
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