Esquimalt has called for proposals to police the township, currently served by the Victoria department.

The RCMP, Saanich and Victoria police have been invited to submit proposals on how they would police the municipality of 16,000 residents. The deadline for proposals is April 20.

"We are exploring options of policing that is a better fit for our community," said Barb Desjardins, the mayor of Esquimalt, at a press conference Friday.

The township is looking for a 10-year contract with a five-year renewal.

The decision to contract out policing is not a reflection of Victoria police doing a poor job, Desjardins said.

But, in the past, Desjardins and Esquimalt councillors have been very vocal in saying Victoria police does not provide the level of service agreed upon when the Esquimalt force amalgamated with Victoria in 2003.

"Our residents have spoken and they have told us they want community-based decision-making around policing, the best possible policing for their tax dollars, and a dedicated patrol based in the municipality," Desjardins said.

Desjardins could not provide specific examples of how Victoria police is failing to measure up.

An audit completed in March 2010 by the province's police services division found that while Victoria police provides adequate service, Esquimalt can consider contracting out policing.

The township set up a police advisory board — made up of three provincial appointees and an Esquimalt councillor, and chaired by Desjardins — to decide the level of policing required by the community.

Desjardins said the police services division has been kept informed of the process.

Deputy chief John Ducker, who has lived in Esquimalt for 40 years, said the municipality will be hard-pressed to find a police force that can provide a better level of service.

Ducker said policing today is becoming increasingly complex and the old model of community policing is no longer adequate.

"It's a mistake to overly prioritize the issues of community policing," he said. "You need support services and a back end that could manage critical incidents and difficult cases."

In recent months, many of Victoria police's most serious calls were from Esquimalt: in December, the forcible confinement, sexual assault and extortion of a woman; in January, a home invasion, in which two men were stabbed, was spread out over four crime scenes; and, in February, random and violent attacks by teenagers. Arrests were made in all those cases.

Ducker said there needs to be more leadership from the province on policing in Greater Victoria.

Esquimalt council has balked at Victoria police's request for a $2.16 million increase to its $42.17-million budget — an increase of $462,747 for Esquimalt which pays 14 per cent of policing costs.

Desjardins insisted the decision to contract out policing is not about money.

"We are not determining this by dollar," she said. "We are determining this by the best fit for the community."

Esquimalt council agreed to spend $45,000 this year to fund the advisory board and council is prepared to spend more to pay for a consultant to choose the best proposal.

Saanich Mayor Frank Leonard said the municipality has not decided whether to submit a proposal.

Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin said staff will look at the request and put the decision before council within the next two weeks.

Fortin was skeptical that a detailed proposal for policing can be put together before April 20. It took six months to develop a contract when the two departments merged in 2003.

"What I have now is a whole lot of questions and not a lot of answers," Fortin said.

The RCMP said its E Division Operations Strategy Branch will spend the coming weeks developing a proposal.

kderosa@timescolonist.com