For Immediate Release
Langley City, B.C. – On May 10, 2024, Langley City Council received a letter from Township of Langley Mayor Eric Woodward, demanding payment for RCMP policing resources for 2023. Mayor Woodward noted that although the cost-sharing agreement expired in 2022, payments for policing resources provided must continue until a new agreement is negotiated for 2023 and beyond.
“Langley City took the initiative to reach out to the Township of Langley on multiple occasions since October 2022 in an attempt to extend the RCMP cost-sharing agreement, with the most recent attempt in late April 2024,” stated Langley City Mayor Nathan Pachal. Without a cost-sharing agreement, there is no contractual arrangement in place which allows Langley City to pay the Township. As such, the City was unwilling to process the payment as the Township’s precondition to the agreement renewal. Mayor Pachal emphasized that "Langley City prepared a new cost-sharing agreement for the Township to sign some time ago and we had hoped they would sign it, as we have been waiting to restart the payments. While our position remains the same, the City has already taken steps to process the 2023 payment as an act of good faith. It is incumbent on both parties to renew the Police Servicing Agreement and City staff are available to discuss this renewal at the earliest opportunity.”
Langley City stressed that the RCMP policing resources payment for 2023 should not be tied to the current Langley RCMP de-integration assessment between the City of Langley and the Township of Langley.
Media Inquiries:
Mayor Nathan Pachal
City of Langley
604.514.2801
npachal@langleycity.ca