Members of the province‐wide British Columbia Police Association (BCPA), are meeting with provincial MLAs today in Victoria. The BCPA is the new province‐wide organization that provides a united voice for front‐line municipal policing in British Columbia.
The 2,500‐member BCPA is made up the members of the province’s 11 municipal police services as well as members of the South Coast BC Transit Association Police Services.
Members of the RCMP serving in B.C. are welcome as non‐voting associate members of the BCPA during the time they serve in the province. “We are providing a united voice on issues of concern to our members across the province,” says BCPA President, Tom Stamatakis.
“We’re pleased with the opportunity to discuss these issues with our provincial MLAs and to listen to their concerns about policing in their communities, especially in light of the recent attention to the latest gang violence”, he adds. While member police associations of the BCPA negotiate their contracts individually with the municipalities they serve, the BCPA allows them to more easily share information and improve bargaining positions.
“Our province is vast, and while policing in a major city like Vancouver is different in some ways than in a smaller municipality, our shared experiences, concerns and issues outweigh our differences”, notes Stamatakis.
The main aim of the BCPA is to encourage improvements in the working conditions, equipment, training and compensation of its members, and, by so doing, improve policing service to the public in B.C.’s municipalities. Its motto and mission statement is, “To Protect Those Who Protect Others.”
Contact: Tom Stamatakis, 604‐312‐7737