Wednesday February 4, 2026 | LANGFORD, BC [Posted at 1:43 pm | Updated 2:08 pm]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
This week, the City of Langford has launched a Community Safety Survey this week to better understand how safe residents feel in their neighbourhoods, parks, and public spaces.
It will also be an opportunity for the survey team to learn more about any experiences or concerns residents may have.
To ensure an impartial and statistically reliable survey, the City has contracted EKOS Research Associates, an independent public opinion research firm. The cost for the EKOS service is yet to be stated.
‘To get police resourcing right’,’ in 2025 the City of Langford had commissioned a report by outside consultants titled: Public Safety and Police Resourcing – A Proposed Approach for the Communities Served by the West Shore RCMP.
Hiring more police officers is seen as a necessary part of a city with a growing population.
Part of Budget 2026:
The survey report is expected to be completed by the end of February.
The survey results will be provided to Langford Council as part of their 2026 budget process (currently underway), intended to complement statistics collected by the West Shore RCMP and provided in the latest Crime Statistics of BC.
The City says that this will help ensure that their policing and public safety resources reflect the needs and priorities of Langford residents during what is expected to be a challenging budget year (Councill will look at a range of property tax increases, ranging from 3% to 11%).
Survey format:
The survey asks residents about:
- How safe they feel in public spaces during the day and at night
- Experiences in public places such as parks, trails, sidewalks, and transit stops
- Any incidents that may not have been reported to police and the reasons why
- Their overall perceptions of public safety in Langford
“Hearing directly from residents is essential to making informed decisions about community safety,” said Langford Mayor Scott Goodmanson.
“This survey will give Council a clear understanding of how people are feeling in their neighbourhoods and what resources are needed most. We’re committed to ensuring our public safety investments reflect the real experiences and priorities of the community,” the mayor was quoted as saying, in a news release today.
Building on the public safety session:
A public safety information session was held in Langford on December 9, 2025.
This work builds on the City’s recent public information session on community safety resourcing, held in December 2025 with two public safety and policing subject matter experts. The session included insights on approaches used by other B.C. communities.
COURTESY LINK: PUBLIC SAFETY & POLICE RESOURCING REPORT & RECORDING of the December 9, 2026 Safety Session
The West Shore RCMP detachment serves Langford as well as Colwood, Highlands, Metchosin, View Royal and two First Nations (Songhees and Esquimalt).
Expect the phone to ring:
Beginning this week, the City of Langford says that residents may receive a phone call, either on a landline or mobile phone, inviting them to participate in the survey.
It’s unclear how balanced and representative the results can be as many people don’t pick up unidentified calls, especially on smartphones.
As well, so far it is not stated as to whether respondents will be in Langford only, or across the wider west shore region that is served by the West Shore RCMP. Island Social Trends awaits comment from the City on this.
Donation component:
Each completed survey will result in a donation of $5 to the Goldstream Food Bank, in recognition of participant’s time.
There is no indication, to date, as to why one particular organization was chosen to receive donations when there is such a wide range of need in the community. Island Social Trends awaits comment from the City on this.
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===== RELATED:
- Langford & View Royal endorse West Shore RCMP facility expansion while Colwood drags its heels (December 13, 2026)
- Strategic start on Langford Budget 2026 with four tax increase options (December 13, 2025)
- Langford hosts consultant-led info session on policing & public safety (December 12, 2025)
- Three municipalities get CRD loan to upgrade West Shore RCMP building (November 27, 2025)
- West Shore RCMP announces new Officer in Charge (November 22, 2025)
- NEWS SECTIONS: LANGFORD | WEST SHORE RCMP | WEST SHORE LOCAL