Councils want proof that newest Mounties are reducing crime before more are added
Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview councils have all passed similar motions over the past month calling for a "comprehensive data analysis" to evaluate the impact of adding 17 more Mounties this year.
"The municipalities want to be accountable to the taxpayers to show that these investments are having the desired results we want to see in our communities," a report by Riverview town staff about the motion states.
The votes would affect a plan presented last fall that proposed adding 15 more officers in 2026 and 14 more in 2027. The plan would have increased the budgeted number of officers to 202, up from 156 in 2024.
WATCH | 'How do we know that the investment is having some result?:
Cities want to know whether new cops making a difference on crime
1 hour ago
Duration 1:58
But the motion would delay the hiring. The Riverview council report says the RCMP will have the 2026 calendar year to assess the effect of the 17 new officers before approving adding more as outlined in the plan.
Don Moore, the policing authority board chair, said the effect would turn a three-year plan for staffing increases into a five-year plan. The civilian board oversees Codiac RCMP, drafting a budget that each council is asked to approve.
Moore welcomed the motion, saying the board needs to have a good working relationship with the three municipalities.
"This includes an understanding on how do we make policing successful, and one of those ways to make policing successful is to have the appropriate measures to make sure that we're reducing crime," Moore said.
"The that's the job of the police force, but we need to make sure we have the proper justifications on increasing budget and increasing the number of members for policing in our region."
While the motions say "any request for additional staffing increases" would have to wait for the data, Moore said the policing authority may still request an increase for 2026 to keep up with population growth.
The Moncton city staff report about the motion notes the motion isn't binding.
If there's a disagreement and councils don't approve the budget proposed by the policing authority, the Police Act says the province's local government minister steps in to set the budget.
While the 17 new positions were budgeted for 2025, the RCMP has until the end of the year to actually fill the positions. That's in part why 2026 will be used to asses any change.
The policing authority is considering several of what it calls "key performance indicators" that will be used to measure the effect of the additional officers.
What those indicators measure has yet to be announced or described to municipal councils.
That was a source of frustration when the motion was debated at a Moncton committee meeting in February.
"How can we possibility evaluate based on data when we haven't decided what the start data is, and we don't have it?" Coun. Susan Edgett said during the Feb. 24 meeting.
Moore said the policing authority plans to seek input from the municipalities on potential indicators in the coming weeks.
Councils want budget sooner
The motions also call for the policing authority to outline its proposed budget earlier in the year, prior to when the municipalities start drafting their own budgets.
Moncton city staff noted in a report that the policing authority budget has climbed 65 per cent over four years, compared to a 38.5 per cent increase in the city's operating budget over that time.
In 2024, the policing authority sought a $9.3 million budget increase for 2025.
"When large budget requests are introduced late in the process, they can disrupt the workflow, hinder comprehensive review, lead to rushed decision-making, impact negatively taxpayers and make it challenging to integrate these requests into the existing financial plan," the Moncton staff report states.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Vancouver Sun
3 days ago
- Vancouver Sun
B.C. asks feds to step in and pay drug lab cleanup costs
B.C.'s public safety minister has written to the federal government requesting assistance in paying the multi-million tab for cleaning up fentanyl and methamphetamine labs uncovered in recent months. Postmedia recently revealed that the RCMP's federal policing program in B.C. is stuck with a $3.6 million bill for removing deadly chemicals found in several illicit labs, including the record-setting Falkland operation raided last October. Asst. Commissioner David Teboul said the hefty bill would have to be paid out of the RCMP's operational funds meaning fewer investigations in this province. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. David Karn, spokesperson for the B.C. Environment Ministry, confirmed in a statement this week that the letter was sent to the federal government on May 23, 'asking it to consider alternative funding arrangements supplemented by the expertise at Health Canada to cover costs for the safe cleanup of criminal drug labs so police can focus their efforts on further enforcement.' Karn also said that the ministry had incurred its own costs in the past for drug lab cleanups 'where hazardous materials posed a risk to human health or the environment — particularly when substances had left the site or were at risk of migrating off-site.' In those cases, the ministry 'pursued recovery through established legal mechanisms, such as the site remediation program or spill response provisions under the Environmental Management Act.' But he said the act 'does not provide a mechanism for the ministry to retroactively reimburse third-party agencies like the RCMP for their incurred costs.' Conservative MP Frank Caputo, his party's critic for public safety, said in an interview Thursday that the federal government's lax approach to the fentanyl crisis has led to the rise of synthetic drug labs in this province. 'When I look at these massive enterprises of fentanyl production, of drug production, of drug trafficking, clearly people see that the juice is worth the squeeze, meaning that they will not face significant enough consequences to deter them from injecting a deadly supply of drugs into the community and we need to change that,' said Caputo, who represents Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. 'I don't look at this issue in isolation. I think it's part of a greater problem. Obviously, if we didn't have mass fentanyl producers creating the substance, we wouldn't be dealing with the cleanup.' And while civil forfeiture proceedings and restitution orders are existing tools that can be used to eventually recoup cleanup costs, they don't help with the massive RCMP bill in the short term, said Caputo, who was a prosecutor before he was elected. 'The fact is, the RCMP don't have the money for this because the government has put us in a deficit of around $90 billion and they're cutting back in the wrong places,' Caputo said. 'Maybe while they figure out a better funding formula to deal with this stuff in the short term, they should cough up this cash to pay the B.C. RCMP,' he said. The federal Public Safety Department did not respond to a request for information from Postmedia about the B.C. government letter. In an earlier emailed statement, spokesperson Max Watson said only that 'the cleanup of illegal drug labs is typically the responsibility of property owners. In cases where ownership is unclear or public health and safety are at risk, local governments may be required to step in and manage the cleanup, to ensure the health and safety of their residents.' There was no direct response to questions about the fact the RCMP in B.C. is stuck with a $3.6 million bill. B.C.'s civil forfeiture office has filed several lawsuits against owners of properties where synthetic drug labs have been found, including the Abbotsford electrician who owns the rural Falkland property where record amounts of fentanyl and precursor chemicals were located. Michael Driehuyzen filed a statement of defence , saying he was only the landlord and 'did not participate or acquiesce in any unlawful activity at the property done by his tenant or his tenant's agents.' kbolan@ Blueksy: @
Edmonton Journal
3 days ago
- Edmonton Journal
Alberta RCMP most cost affective policing option for Rocky Mountain House: report
Article content The report commissioned by the Town of Rocky Mountain House, located 215 kilometres southwest of Edmonton, found while RCMP contract costs are rising, it was still the most competitive options compared to other alternatives. Article content Article content Article content Joyce Tustian, project lead for the report at Western Management Consultants (WMC), said at a council meeting on Aug. 5 the cost of the RCMP compared to other options remain the municipality's 'best deal' because as a smaller municipality, it lacks forces and 'economies of scale.' Article content 'You just aren't big enough to do the things as a small municipality in a way that is cost effective. We looked at a lot of hybrid and regional models, and we thought that in the longer term, they offer promise, but they're very complex in terms of their design and their implementation, and we don't think that they are going to meet your needs in the short term,' Tustian said. Article content 'We came to conclusion that the RCMP contract optimization and oversight can provide you with short-term gains and prepare you better for the future.' Article content The report looked at five different policing models, including an independent municipal police service, an independent police service and community peace officers, an expanded community peace officer program, an Alberta Provincial Police Service and an optimized RCMP service. Article content Article content Hunter Baril, acting press secretary in the Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Services, said in a statement to Postmedia that the province remains 'committed' to working with municipal governments to meet local policing needs. Article content Article content The province has provided more than $2.2 million under the Indigenous and Municipal Police Transition Study Grant to 35 municipalities, 23 First Nations and eight Métis settlements to study their existing police service and potential alternatives, according to Baril. Article content Currently, Rocky Mountain House policing resources are facing 'considerable pressure' due to increasing mental-health crises, social complexities, homelessness and substance-abuse issues, according to the report. Article content Rocky Mountain House deputy mayor Tina Hutchinson said the town received $60,000 from the province to conduct the study, along with $30,000 from the municipality to cover costs.
CBC
3 days ago
- CBC
Alberta Next panel returns to Edmonton to get feedback at third town hall
Social Sharing A travelling panel collecting public feedback on Alberta's grievances with Ottawa is set to make its third summer town hall stop tonight. Premier Danielle Smith and 15 other members of her Alberta Next panel are scheduled to be in Edmonton to brainstorm with people about possible future referendum questions. The premier has said one of the reasons for the panel is to address concerns that are inspiring separatist sentiment in the province. Its agenda focuses on six policy ideas, including pulling out of the Canada Pension Plan and creating a provincial police force to replace the RCMP. Earlier events were held last month in Red Deer and Edmonton. At those town halls, some Albertans offered support for the proposals, some protested at the gates and others dismissed the panel as a self-serving political exercise meant to stir up discontent and division. It is set to host events in Fort McMurray and Lloydminster in two weeks. The panel has also faced criticism for presenting online survey questions that left no option to disagree. The government later added options to some survey questions. The changes were made after 32,000 people had already filled out the surveys. The premier's office has said the survey results for the different versions will be separated. Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi has dismissed the panel as a way for Smith to curry favour with extreme elements of her United Conservative Party to keep them from splintering off. He's also said the government is using it to conjure up unreliable data to support things it already wants to do. Alberta public opinion pollster Janet Brown has said the government's effort is not a polling exercise but a public engagement exercise and that changing the survey questions midstream underscores that.
