Langely City Proposed 2025 RCMP Increases. Creating a Bat-Friendly Community.

Some people consider bats a nuisance, but they are a critical part of the ecosystem on the South Coast. They control pests, pollinate plants, and disperse seeds. Some bats have traditionally depended on humans to provide shelter spaces (an old barn or area under a bridge), but these spaces are becoming less and less.

The good news is that people are working to restore bat populations in BC, such as through the Bat Friendly Communities program from Community Bat Projects of BC.

Langley City's volunteer-driven Environmental Sustainability Committee recently recommended to Council that Langley City become bat-friendly certified. Langley City Council approved this recommendation at its July 22 meeting.

This approval means that the City, in partnership with the Committee, Langley Environmental Partners Society, and Langley Field Naturalists, will:

• Protect, create or enhance habitat such as by building bat homes
• Provide information about bats to the public
• Promote learning about bats such as by having community presentations or holding a bat-house building workshop

Example of a Bat Condo. Source: Community Bat Projects of BC

Because the federal government partially funds the Langley Integrated RCMP detachment, we must submit an "approval in principle" to help the federal government budget for the RCMP as its budget cycle occurs before municipal budget cycles. While most of the RCMP budget is outside of municipal control, we can control the number of RCMP members.

Langley City is proposing a maximum increase of RCMP members (officers) by 2 for a total of 56.35 members. Langley City's portion of the budget would be capped at $16,985,818. This increase would be $1,478,974, or a 10% increase from this year. Council may decide not to increase the RCMP members or only add one additional member as we go through our 2025 budget process, but we need to provide the feds with the maximum spending scenario.

On July 22, Council approved this "approval in principle" budget. At the same meeting, Council received our Langley RCMP Quarter 2 Summary Report, which you can read on the City's website.