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.
High policing costs
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� about $58 million on policing this year alone.
“Policing costs are one of the highest annual operating expenditures within the City’s Financial Plan making up an estimated 26 per cent of taxation,” the city said.
“The City is highly committed to strong fiscal stewardship and has an obligation to ensure that its taxpayers are always receiving the best value for money from contract services.”
The city has put aside a maximum of $350,000 for the policing review, which it hopes will begin in July of this year, with a final report to be presented in February 2026.
When CBC News contacted Kelowna RCMP for comment, they suggested contacting the city.
Surrey, B.C., just outside of Vancouver, made the switch to a municipal force in late 2024 after years of political tension around transitioning away from the RCMP.
The City of Surrey officially transitioned from the RCMP to the Surrey Police Service on Friday. It’s the biggest policing transition in Canadian history, and has been a long, divisive and expensive journey to get here. As Michelle Ghoussoub reports, the full transfer of power will take years to complete.
Former solicitor general and former West Vancouver, B.C., police chief Kash Heed said any kind of police reform comes with barriers.
“You’re going to have a massive political fight on your hands, similar to Surrey, because there are going to be people that don’t believe that they want to transition from the RCMP to something else,” Heed said.
He added that the province is responsible for policing; Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke tried to stop the transition away from RCMP after she was elected in 2022, but the province pushed the change forward.
“The solicitor general has the power to create these types of services within the province of British Columbia, regardless of what the municipalities want or the local government wants,” Heed said.
