Calgary police seeking millions in additional funding, citing budget gap

Calgary police are asking city council for millions in additional funding, citing a $49.4 million gap in their budget caused by declining photo radar revenue and the pressures of a growing population.

The largest portion—$28 million—is tied to the loss of photo radar revenue. Earlier this year, council voted to cover that gap using money from the city’s reserve fund.

Police are now requesting that photo radar revenue be excluded from future budgets to avoid repeated one-time funding requests.

Mayor Jeromy Farkas said photo radar should not be treated as a guaranteed source of municipal revenue.

“It can’t just be a cash cow deployed to areas unfairly,” Farkas said. “It needs to be specifically targeting the highest collision areas where there is known safety issues, and the money has to be earmarked specifically for safety improvements.

“If you do the crime, you should pay the fine.”

In a statement to CityNews, the province echoed that position, saying photo radar revenue should not be used as a “guaranteed municipal revenue stream.”

Beyond photo radar, police are seeking $21.4 million to address deferred costs, including replacing aging vehicles, repairing facilities, and expanding resources to handle an influx of freedom of information requests under new provincial legislation.

Looking ahead, the Calgary Police Service is preparing a larger budget request in the city’s next four-year cycle. The service plans to hire about 660 new officers to meet the demands of Calgary’s growing population.

The proposed net operating budget for 2026 is $613 million—a 13 per cent increase from 2025.

Police Commission Chair Amtul Siddiqui said the long-term ask reflects more than just immediate needs.

“When we come and ask for the four-year ask, it’s not really looking about the next four years,” Siddiqui said. “It’s looking at the next decade of policing in Calgary.”

Some councillors argue that as the service’s needs expand, funding from higher levels of government should also grow.

“They give us money for officers, but they don’t give us the inflationary costs to go along with an officer,” Coun. Jennifer Wyness said.

The debate over police funding is expected to intensify as council prepares for its next budget cycle.