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Victoria Allocates $10.35 Million to Jump-Start Public Safety Plan

Mayor Alto scaled back park upgrades, tapped reserve funds, hired enforcement officers, initiated Pandora Avenue repairs, expanded emergency shelter capacity.

A view of the Victoria Police headquarters in Victoria, B.C., on Friday, December 20, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
'There's no doubt in my mind that this is the single most important decision that council has dealt with,' said Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto in a Wednesday news conference.

Overview

  • City council redirected $10.35 million from capital projects and reserves, including Royal Athletic Park and Centennial Square funds, to launch the first tranche of its safety plan.
  • The funding allocates $1.9 million for 12 additional bylaw officers and $1.35 million for nine new police officers, two of whom will work full time with bylaw staff.
  • An estimated $3.75 million is earmarked for preliminary rehabilitation of the 800–1000 blocks of Pandora Avenue as part of a broader $7 million corridor transformation.
  • Nearly $2 million will establish two managed short-term emergency shelters and cover operating, rental and capacity costs through 2026.
  • The city will match a $220,000 provincial contribution to VicPD’s targeted enforcement program and has committed to no property tax increase.