ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT


                                             Date: March 26, 1997          
                                      Dept. File No.: p&r/emrelmgr.rtc
                                      C.C. File No.: 1306-1

   TO:       Vancouver City Council

   FROM:     Chief Constable

   SUBJECT:  Employee Relations Manager, Vancouver Police Department



   INFORMATION 

        The Chief Constable submits this report for INFORMATION.


   COUNCIL POLICY

        "THAT during the term of the 1994-96 Budget Management program, any
        proposed increases in  program and/or service  levels be offset  by
        corresponding spending reductions elsewhere in the City s operating
        budget or by increases in non-taxation revenues, subject to Council
        direction."


   PURPOSE

   The purpose of this report is that Council be made aware of:

   A.   The hiring of an Employee Relations Manager for the Human Resources
        Division of the Vancouver Police Department; and

   B.   The  reduction  of  the  sworn  strength  of  the Vancouver  Police
        Department by one from 1084 to 1083 and a corresponding increase in
        the civilian strength by one from 271.4 to 272.4.

   BACKGROUND

   In 1994, the Honourable Mr. Justice Wallace T. Oppal in his final report
   on policing in British Columbia made 81 recommendations directly related
   to human resources management within municipal  police departments.  The
   recommendations include:

   -  Adopt strategies for organization change.

   -  Develop more autonomous and participative management practices.

   -  Ensure  information,  knowledge, skills  and  abilities necessary  for
      self-management  are present  at both  the management  and work  group
      level.

   -  Develop a minimum set of criteria for human resource tools.

   -  Develop  human  resource  positions  responsible  for  identifying and
      implementing human resource strategies that focus on: 

        -  human resources planning
        -  job evaluation and classification
        -  employee selection
        -  performance appraisal
        -  identification of training and development needs, and 
        -  career development

   -  Develop  the   expertise  to  implement   human  resource  information
      systems.

   -  Evaluate selection  and hiring  criteria to determine  the skills  and
      attributes relevant to current policing.

   -  Establish  training committees  representative of  all levels  of  the
      agency to identify the training needs of all personnel.

   -  Make  all competitions  for non-operational  management positions open
      to civilians.

   The   Oppal   Commission   report   recommendations  were   taken   into
   consideration  during  the drafting  of the  strategies outlined  by the
   Chief  Constable   in  his  September,   1994  report   to  Council   on
   Community-based Policing initiatives.   On April 10, 1995  the Vancouver
   Police   Board   approved   the   restructuring   scenario   within  the
   Community-based  Policing initiatives,  which included  the hiring  of a
   Human Resources Manager in the Human Resources Division.

   DISCUSSION

   With the hiring of the Employee Relations Manager, the Police Department
   hopes to build  a more positive working environment for  both police and
   civilian staff.

   The  duties of  the  Employee Relations  Manager  include providing  the
   Police Department  with ongoing advice on a wide range of human resource
   issues such as:

   -  employee relations;
   -  contract administration;
   -  training; 
   -  developing human resource policy; 
   -  grievance resolution; 
   -  preparing  for  and  advising counsel  at  third  party  hearings  and
      arbitrations; 
   -  collective bargaining; and
   -  representing the employer at union/management meetings.

   PERSONNEL IMPLICATIONS

   This  proposal  will  reduce  the  authorized  strength  of  the  Police
   Department by one, from  1084 to 1083.  This  has been agreed to  by the
   Vancouver Police Union and they have received a copy of this report.  As
   this  will be  an  exempt  civilian position,  no  other  union need  be
   advised.

   FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

   The salary scale of the Employee Relations Manager will be determined by
   GVRD classification.   The Police  Department will be reducing the sworn
   strength by one Sergeant to pay for the new position.

   IMPLEMENTATION

   The person selected for  the Employee Relations Manager position  should
   be in place by May, 1997.

   CONCLUSION

   This Information Report is submitted to advise Council of an addition to
   the Human Resources Division of the Police Department and the subsequent
   changes in sworn and civilian strength.



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