ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: April 1, 1996
Dept. File: pra/APEC.RTC
TO: Vancouver City Council
FROM: Chief Constable
SUBJECT: Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference
RECOMMENDATION
THAT Council approve funding for Training, Automated Support and
Planning in 1996 to prepare for the Asia Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) Conference at an approximate cost of $69,100;
source of funding to be the 1996 Operating Budget.
CHIEF CONSTABLE'S COMMENTS
The Chief Constable RECOMMENDS approval of the foregoing.
COUNCIL POLICY
Council, on September 28, 1995, approved consideration of a maximum
contribution of $700,000 to accommodate the cost categories (Police,
Engineering, Reception, Staff Resources to assist in coordination)
related to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Conference.
Council, on March 28, 1996, approved cost-sharing with Tourism
Vancouver for APEC to a ceiling of $350,000.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to obtain approval for funding Training,
Planning and Support equipment for the Vancouver Police Department for
the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference. The funds to be
advanced from the estimated overall costs of $700,000 are to be
included in the 1996 Operating Budget.
DISCUSSION
In November, 1995, the City of Vancouver was invited to participate in
a competition to select a host city for the Asia Pacific Economic
Cooperation Conference. Vancouver was selected and, in November 1997,
will host 28 heads of state or economic regions from around the
Pacific Rim and South East Asia.
The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit will be the culmination
of a year long national initiative from all levels of government and
the private sector to encourage and facilitate economic growth on the
Pacific Rim. Vancouver will be an integral site for the introduction
of some of the initiatives commencing early in 1997. Vancouver also
houses the APEC study centre at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada
located at Canada Place. The Asia-Pacific theme will put National and
International focus on the City during 1997.
To ensure Vancouver Police are properly prepared to handle high
security level requirements, crowd management and planning
requirements, funding is necessary in 1996. Specialized training in
the area of VIP security and crowd management must be done in advance
of the Conference dates. In order to complete this training in a
timely manner, it must be commenced in 1996.
Planning for this event and the obligatory research and intelligence
gathering have posed difficulties in the past. The Review of the 1994
Stanley Cup Riot recommended that the necessary computer equipment and
software programs be purchased to assist in expeditious planning.
Progress has been made and some support equipment is in place. The
purchase of additional information-handling equipment and systems is
now necessary to prepare the operational plan and to properly operate
a partial activation of the Emergency Operations Centre for this
event.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The Operations Auxiliary Section in the Operational Support Division
of the Vancouver Police Department is mandated to prepare and
administer operational plans for special events. Included in this
process is the need to identify and ensure resource personnel are
trained, gather information and intelligence and prepare plans in a
timely and efficient manner. To equip, train, and prepare plans, it
is recommended that the following funds be approved for 1996:
A. Training
VIP Security Course $2,200
VIP Security refresher Courses 2,200
Crowd Control Unit (6 days) 9,600
Emergency Response Team 1,500
$15,500
B. Planning
3 Desktop CPU for EOC Operations $15,000
1 Notebook CPU for OAS/Field use 10,000
1 Laser Colour printer/copier 6,000
1 High speed plain paper fax 1,600
Support Software 5,000
Research, Intelligence-gathering
contingency 16,000
$53,600
1996 Total Costs $69,100
These costs are included in the original cost estimate of $700,000
placed before Council in September 1995.
CONCLUSION
The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference is a large
undertaking which involves considerable security and crowd management
planning. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference is the only
event in recent times that is comparable. Security levels for the
attending officials and heads of state are anticipated to be far
greater than at CHOGM. Efficient management of the operational plans
can only be obtained through the provision of properly prepared and
supported resources. While there is the expectation that nothing
untoward will occur, the Police Department must be prepared to respond
to any incident or mitigate events as they occur. The investment in
training and equipment will go a long way to ensure that the APEC
conference is peaceful and enjoyable for all the participants and that
the City is well prepared for any situation that may arise.
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