RCMP say Boonstock needs to reimburse government for additional police costs
PENTICTON – RCMP say Boonstock organizers need to reimburse the provincial government for additional police officers required during the festival weekend, after private security failed to provide adequate resources.
The two final days of the festival required additional personnel since RCMP had to shift their focus to security and public safety. A new cost analysis estimates the province spent an extra $50,000 stacking the festival with enough officers to manage the event. Boonstock organizers originally paid $200,000 to the government for the number of police originally required. Their bill now totals $250,000.
"We can only speculate what the numbers might have been had we been left to simply police the event as planned," says Superintendent Kevin Hewco. "A great deal of discretion was used during the event for lesser offences when our role changed from enforcement to security and public safety.”
RCMP say the lack of a liquor license at the event likely kept policing costs from increasing even more.
"I believe that the security concerns that we identified would only have been compounded had the event been issued a liquor licence," Hewco says. "Our ability to maintain order and relative safety at this event is attributable to our increased resources and the limited availability of liquor on site.”
There were 150 case files opened over the festival weekend, and 38 prisoners held from the event alone, according to RCMP.
"The planning of any major event plays a significant role in its success and safety," he says. "From our view, I cannot label this event as a success, especially considering the fact that a young woman died.”
Penticton RCMP will continue to work with local government and Boonstock organizers for any future events to ensure proper safety and security resources are secured.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Meaghan Archer at marcher@infotelnews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
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VIA ANOTHER FB MEMBER………”The City pays policing costs. The City has a budget for the RCMP. Included in that budget is extra costs for extra RCMP during busy times such as Peachfest. Policing Boonstock was not included in the budget. The RCMP cannot go over budget unless they have the OK of the City. The City could not approve over budget for extra RCMP for Boonstock because Boonstock was not held in the City. It was on PIB land. The Band is self-governing, they pay no taxes into the City, therefore the RCMP have no real jurisdiction on Reserve Land. If the Band wants the RCMP to police an event on their land they have to reach an agreement with the RCMP to do so, and they have to pay the costs. It is like Summerland having an event and asking Penticton to come police it. It is up to the community requesting the extra police to pay for it. An agreement was reached between the RCMP and the Band and then there was an agreement between the Band and Boonstock that Boonstock would pay them what ever the costs were. The estimated cost right up front was approx. 200,000$. Then some things kinda went sideways when one person died and 90 more were hospitalized and then the security company hired by Boonstock went to pieces because a couple of the security guys were caught tryng to steal booze from a liquor store even more RCMP had to be called in to play a security role, so the costs ended up being more than what was originally estimated.”
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