Squamish RCMP relied heavily on the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) and the Emergency Response Team (ERT) for assistance -during the stabbing of Squamish teen Sam Eves and subsequent flight of suspect Ander Kumar Walker-Huria late Tuesday night (March 27). IHIT and ERT are elite units that the District of Squamish agreed not to fund during a strategy session last month.
Despite the team's recent valuable contribution, Mayor Ian Sutherland contends that council should not revisit funding the program.
"I still believe funding this program is not in our best interests," said Sutherland, adding he does not expect council to revisit the matter in the budget.
"If you look at this situation the suspect was caught within 12 hours. In our point of view it's a very unusual event for our community. We do believe it does not give us the best bang for our buck, investing in this unit."
The IHIT assists local police detachments in event of a homicide and provides both manpower and expertise, including specialized homicide investigators and, as was the case this week, air support.
The team is paid for by communities from across the Lower Mainland, with each municipality paying towards it based on their size. The $120,000 the district was asked to pay in the 2007 fiscal year for both the IHIT and the Emergency Response Team - which is called out to assist in emergency situations like hostage takings - would act as an insurance policy.
Sutherland noted that if the district does not partake in the IHIT program, special investigators would still be available to them.
"We'd have the ability to pay for it as we need it," said Sutherland.
"That's clearly their decision to make, and they know their community best," said Cpl. Dale Carr of the IHIT.
"I will say that the IHIT is a group of hard working dedicated highly experienced homicide investigators. Some of them have been working for decades on this type of investigation, and that experience in and of itself is worth its weight in gold."
It also lessens the impact on daily police services since the extra support allows day-to-day policing operations to continue unimpeded.
Squamish RCMP Insp. Norm Mcphail agrees with Carr on the value of the contibutio that the IHIT can make. "From and RCMP perspective, using integrated forces is the best way of doing business," said McPhail."Having these integrated teams available is like having insurance, and it is the best use of resources."
"I understand it is a difficult budget year, and council has to balance their policing needs, with the needs of their other services."
Coun. Mike Jenson noted that the issue could be revisited in future budget discussions. "It's $120,000 a year," said Jenson. "I always equate things over a ten year period, so that's $1.2 million over that time. So it may be a case here where it will be over that $120,000. But what are we looking at in 2008, 2009 and on? When you're dealing with insurance, you have to way the probabilities. Sometimes you win and sometimes you don't."
Last week, following the murder of Michael George Boutros in Whistler, Coun. Patricia Heintzman, who made the motion not to fund the IHIT in this year's budget, said that homicide would not likely change her mind about funding the program.
"Whistler is a different community, with different circumstances," said Heintzman at the time. "We only have a homicide here every few decades, so with insurance you really have to consider whether or not it is worthwhile to have that coverage."
Heintzman's position has not changed given the events this week. However, she does feel that council will at least discuss the matter.
"Obviously council will talk about it and weigh the pros and cons," said Heintzman. "The timing of these tragic events, first in Whistler that hasn't had a murder ever, than here within just a few weeks, it's truly bizarre."
