Stephen Harrison

8 Apr 2025

Sometimes I file freedom of information requests. Here’s a thread with some of those past FOIs (mostly VicPD). If you have an idea and need help filing your own, I’m happy to try to assist! #yyj #cdnfoi

Just remembering that VicPD ran a $2 million surplus last year. They could have sent it back to the municipalities. Instead, they used it to pump up their reserves.

Stephen Harrison@stephenharrison.bsky.social

VicPD ended 2025 with a $1.8M surplus. $910k and $746k less on salaries and operating spending, and $1.6M more in revenue. Even forgetting revenue, they’re hundreds of thousands under budget. My understanding is that the surplus could go to VicPD reserves or back to munis. It went to VicPD reserves.

Stephen Harrison reposted

Replying to @stephenharrison.bsky.social

The board no longer provides monthly financial updates but we may see its draft 2027 budget next month. I asked the board if they would return to detailed budgets, to allow for greater scrutiny. They said they don’t have to, and they think their high level version is better.

Stephen Harrison reposted

Replying to @stephenharrison.bsky.social

The VicPD police board’s reduced budget transparency is the difference between this VicPD public relations budget from 2024, and this one from 2026. You can’t tell anymore how much is being spent on staff, travel, etc. That makes it harder to make suggestions to council for places to cut.

There’s a #yyj police board meeting at 5:00 pm. Will follow along here. This thread also includes hot takes on the police board’s reduced budget transparency. Agenda: www.vicpd.ca/Police%20Boa... Stream: www.youtube.com/@victoriaesq... #vicpdboard

Hayes mentions "compliments report" in agenda. As usual, there is no companion complaints report. Kituri: Asks VicPD to talk about value of new training centre. VicPD: Says it allows recruits to stay home instead of travelling to Lower Mainland.

Hayes mentions Victoria letter lobbying in favour of expanded "fugitive return" program. Meeting adjourns.

Deputy chief Hiltz says there will be "increasing" deployments through December "to align with peak holiday activity" … through to February 7th [those classic first week of February holidays]. Hiltz says expect to see more officers on bike and foot patrols. [Policing homelessness, poverty…]

Wilson: Funding came from Victoria as opposed to province. [looking at overall budget increases, specific officer hiring asks, special funding allowances, minimal budget challenges, etc., the previous council was Victoria's most police-friendly in my memory, certainly]

[As much as they like to say these are working trips, and relationship building trips, they are also perks. They don’t need to send five board members to Vancouver for this conference on Victoria and Esquimalt’s dime, but they wanted to and they will.]

Update from Wilson. Talks about recent press releases. Mentions opening of training centre. Says they hired seven new special municipal constables in October. [I don't think that was mentioned in the 2026 budget? Costs for those 7 will rise to $600,000+ in annual costs. Just doing what they want]

Cull: Motion to approve five members to attend Canadian Association of Police Chiefs/BC Association of Police Chiefs Women in Policing Conference in Vancouver in 2027. Says it's $729 per person to register, plus accommodation.

[In 2024, the board’s travel budget was $25,000. You don’t get to see that breakdown anymore, because the police board thinks the high-level budget they provide is sufficient. The police board’s total budget in 2026 was $359,000.]

Armour: "You are looking to do this again next year?" Clarkson: Would love to. Armour calls it "inspirational" and says he will consider registering.

On to election of police board chair and vice chair. Only Hayes stands for chair. Hayes says she supports good governance and VicPD. Both Faoro and Boardman self-nominate to be vice chair (Cull was previous vice chair). Boardman elected as chair after secret ballot.

They're saying $6,051 in costs to VicPD. Doesn't seem to account for officers' time, which would push the costs much higher. Says they should have booked flights earlier to save on costs.

Say they want to go again but VicPD should pay for "swag" to bring next time. And a third officer. [Costs +++] Chief Wilson talks about need to "remember fallen officers" and those who served while VicPD members. Wilson says officers contributed some annual leave, so possibly staff time not a cost.

Says trip was for "remembrance"; also 'comparing approaches' with Dutch and building personal relationships. Says "43,000 people participated in the march." "We are the first members of VicPD to complete the march in its entirety." [I am not yet clear on why this trip was funded by Victoria/Esq]

Here is the justification slide. Remembrance, professional learning, public reputation, partnerships, wellness and resilience, future opportunity. [They're not selling me, but also I don't have $13 million in reserves and such] Says they trained for 400 hours.

Presentation from Cst. Dylan Clarkson and Cst. Christian McMahon who attended Nijmegen March in Netherlands. Both officers were previously in the navy or military. McMahon says he didn't get to attend while in military but got to through VicPD.

Clarkson it "wasn't some sort of holiday, we worked until 10:00 every night." Then talks about touring horse patrol facilities. Says they were "the only Canadian contingent" that "embedded" with Dutch. Said they strengthened relationship with Dutch police (okay…).

Will pick up posting when meeting starts.

youtube.comVictoria & Esquimalt Police Board Live StreamYouTube video by Victoria & Esquimalt Police Board

Meeting is streaming here. Armour starts with a land acknowledgement. Says "We have a responsibility to ensure that policing serves everyone fairly, respectfully, and with accountability." [VicPD disproportionately targets and uses force against Indigenous people] www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C7n...

link.springer.comPolice drug seizures without arrest before and during a decriminalization pilot in Vancouver, Canada: a longitudinal analysis - BMC Public HealthBackground On 31 January 2023, the province of British Columbia (BC), Canada implemented a three-year “Decriminalization Pilot” in response to a toxic drug supply public health emergency, which remove...

Not on agenda, as of Oct 1st, VicPD started seizing more drugs without arrest, which will “increas[e] odds of experiencing a nonfatal overdose.” They cited the city’s Safety and Wellbeing Plan. It's worth questioning their definition of safety. Great job, council. link.springer.com/article/10.1...

There’s also a letter from Victoria to the federal minister of public safety, following up on VicPD’s lobbying in June. Both the city and VicPD want to send more people to other provinces as part of a “Fugitive Return,” as Victoria looks for more ways to disappear people. bsky.app/profile/step...

Stephen Harrison@stephenharrison.bsky.social

Deputy chief MCRae: "fugitive return program" run by RCMP "allows fugitives to be returned to jurisdiction where warrant is issued." Says they've "interacted with" 80 people this year with warrants in another province. VicPD "haven't had a ton of success" with "returning" people to another province.

Agenda includes a presentation on sending VicPD officers to the “Nijmegen March” in the Netherlands, a WWII memorial event. VicPD used AI to help write the proposal and justification for what is almost certainly an expensive trip. www.needsmorespikes.com/blog/vicpd-a...

needsmorespikes.comVicPD redacts own chief’s name while trying to obscure 2025 salaries — Needs More SpikesVicPD withheld the name of its own police chief in 2025 salary information obtained via FOI, arguing that releasing Chief Fiona Wilson’s name presented a security risk. Records show the average VicPD ...

I will note that the agenda includes the names of several VicPD officers. VicPD said during a recent FOI that releasing officer names, including Chief Wilson’s, was a privacy and security issue. Only when it suits them, apparently. www.needsmorespikes.com/blog/vicpd-s...

defactomedia.caVictoria bylaw officers trashed newly donated tents within days — contrary to city claimsThe city has disputed years of claims that it discards unhoused people's belongings. De Facto reporters tracked new tents and carts to see where they ended up.

“Just over one week after the couple’s tent was donated, De Facto’s tracking showed its AirTag pinging a location near the same public works yard…. It pinged again from the Hartland landfill the next day.” www.defactomedia.ca/bylaw-office...

Stephen Harrison reposted

Because they won’t release it themselves, each year I FOI VicPD’s salary info. VicPD is required to disclose staff and public-facing officers’ names, but they’re now claiming that releasing any name, including Chief Fiona Wilson’s, is a security risk. www.needsmorespikes.com/blog/vicpd-s... #yyj

In 2025, 42 VicPD sergeants made an average of $180,000; 10 staff sergeants made an average of $203,000; 6 inspectors made an average of $213,000; and the top-earning deputy chief made $267,000. VicPD’s top-earning civilian staff member, who launched VicPD’s “internal AI tool,” made $209,000.

VicPD withholding their own chief’s name, in records they released after the legal deadline, is the culmination of their increasing contempt for access to information. While VicPD will likely be forced to disclose the names they withheld, it may take months or longer to get VicPD to obey the law.

VicPD’s salary information is relevant because 1) VicPD is a public body that gets very little scrutiny, and 2) City councils did a lot of hand wringing this year about what services to cut, all while shoveling $90 million to VicPD. VicPD spent $49M on salaries alone in 2025, and $1.5M in expenses.

Here are some things we did learn from this FOI. The average VicPD officer made $159,000 in 2025. 184 VicPD constables made an average of $149,000, with 7 making more than $200,000, topping out at $240,000. For context, see this past FOI on VicPD overtime. www.needsmorespikes.com/blog/vicpd-o...

Here they withheld the outgoing and current chiefs’ names (partial year salary) and other public roles. There’s no risk in releasing high-profile officers’ names, which they publish in police board agendas anyway. Per a past OIPC order, VicPD is required to release them. They just don’t want to.

Stephen Harrison reposted

Lots to consider, but here are some Victoria mayor and council candidate survey results from @defundvicpd.bsky.social. More information on candidate responses in the post. defundvicpd.org/2026/10/05/r... #yyj

policeoversight.caBehind the police distortion of 2023 hate crime statisticsHow VPD pushed the (false) claim that antisemitism was rising faster than other hate crimes in 2023

SD61 school board candidates survey results here. Images lifted from @defundvicpd.bsky.social instagram. defundvicpd.org/2026/10/06/r...

Stephen Harrison reposted

P.O.W.E.R.

@policeoversight.ca

NEW: Behind the Vancouver Police distortion of hate crime statistics The VPD "altered their posted press release after the publication of my story, and added a new, more accurate graphic that aligned closer to the data obtained via FOI" @brishti.bsky.social www.policeoversight.ca/p/behind-the...

Stephen Harrison reposted

Quinn MacDonald

@quinnmacdonald.bsky.social

Hi yes I don't want this person working in an authority role in my city.

Stephen Harrison@stephenharrison.bsky.social

VicPD officer suspended with pay for two years so far for lying about punching someone "about eight times." Their lies only came to light because someone was filming. And the officer only stopped the beating after the person filming yelled at them to stop. www.timescolonist.com/local-news/v... #yyj

timescolonist.comVicPD officer gets review of discipline for lying about using excessive forceThe Office of the Police Complaint Comissioner will consider whether Victoria Const. Denis Belkin should face dismissal after lying to an investigator, as VicPD had concluded.

needsmorespikes.comVicPD pays six years in salary to suspended officers — Needs More SpikesBetween 2024 and 2025, VicPD suspended six officers with pay for a total of 13,040 hours. That works out to more than a year for each of those six officers. Payments to those suspended officers may ha...

VicPD has suspended lots of officers with pay over the past two years. The details mostly aren't public. www.needsmorespikes.com/blog/vicpd-s...