RCMP and Halifax Regional Police will stay on the job in HRM.
After two days of debates, city councillors have voted overwhelmingly to keep RCMP officers in the outlying areas.
Councillors voted to stick with the status quo despite a police commission report that suggested one police force would be cheaper than two.
Coun. Linda Mosher (Purcell's Cove-Armdale) says the province currently covers 30 per cent of the RCMP service in HRM and Nova Scotia, compared to other municipalities in Canada where the province kicks in only 10 per cent.
She says council may have to revisit the question when the RCMP contract expires in 2012, depending on the province's demands.
"A year before the expiration fo the contract, if we find out that it's 90-10, then it will definitely have to come back to council." she said, adding the cost to HRM could be more than $20 million. "We have to know how to increase the cost or put in area rates. There will be a funding shortfall that we will have to address at that point, but right now there's no urgency with that decision."
At the moment, Mosher says council is happy with the RCMP contract and the quality of service.
"The question was regarding the contract," she said. "At no time did we look at which is the better police force."
A release from RCMP Supt. Darrell Beaton says he's pleased with the show of support for HRM's unique integrated policing model.