Premiers say they're concerned — and confused — about Ottawa's plans for the future of the RCMP
CBC
Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson said she and other provincial leaders are in the dark about the federal government's plans for the future of the RCMP, despite the fact that they rely on Mounties to keep parts of their provinces safe.
"We're very concerned because there is no indication what the federal government's plan is moving forward," Stefanson, chair of the Council of the Federation, said Wednesday as the premiers wrapped up three days of meetings in Winnipeg.
Like many provinces, Manitoba uses the Mounties as a provincial police force through a contract policing arrangement. Provinces and territories pay 70 per cent of RCMP costs and the federal government pays the rest.
The current contracts are up for renewal in 2032. Federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino has launched a review of how that arrangement is working.
"How it looks going forward will very much be a function of the ongoing conversations that we're having with provinces, territories and municipalities," Mendicino told CBC News back in May.
But Alberta Premier Danielle Smith Smith said there haven't been open discussions yet.
"They do seem to send a mixed message about whether they're committed to maintaining contract policing," she told reporters Wednesday.
"It's left some provinces like ours, where we are expanding our sheriffs in anticipation that they may not want to continue expanding the service."
The recent report into the worst mass shooting in Canadian history made sweeping calls to reform the RCMP and to review the RCMP's role in community policing.
Some cities like Surrey, B.C. are already debating whether the RCMP is worth keeping. Grande Prairie, Alta. is also thinking about establishing its own municipal police service.
B.C. Premier David Eby said the premiers also discussed the large number of RCMP vacancies across the country.
"We have officers that have to work extended shifts that are increasingly strained and stressed and then going off on leave, making the problem worse," he said.
"We don't see a clear path from the federal government about filling those vacancies."
The RCMP has seen a drop in the number of applicants in recent years, raising concerns about its ability to properly police.
This story is a collaboration between the Investigative Journalism Foundation and CBC Saskatchewan.
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