Review finds RCMP understaffed prior to N.S. shootings, councillor claims they never asked for more
Global News
An internal review completed by Nova Scotia RCMP found that local detachments where the April 2020 shooting spree took place were understaffed in the year prior to the killings.
An internal review completed by the RCMP claims the number of police officers working in the community where the Nova Scotia shooting spree began was at least six short of what’s needed to meet minimum policing standards in the year leading up to the killings.
According to the review, which was released as part of a report prepared for the public inquiry looking into the shootings, having fewer officers than needed can affect other officers’ ability to conduct “proactive” policing and their ability to respond to incidents.
“Research completed by the RCMP … has indicated that low proactive availability of first responders can have a negative impact on response to call (sic), visibility, officer safety and officer wellbeing,” the September 2020 review said.
“Based on the analysis in this review, it is recommended that the Colchester District RCMP establishment be increased by six full-time equivalent positions to address inadequate proactive availability.”
Proactive policing refers to the amount of time officers have during their shifts when they’re not responding to or following up on active incidents.
According to the RCMP review, officers should be available 35 per cent of the time for proactive policing duties, which include community policing and other crime-reduction efforts.
But in Colchester County, which is where more than half of the 22 victims of the shooting spree were killed, this minimum standard was met in just 13 of 52 weeks the year before the shooting spree, according to the RCMP review.
“The low amount of proactive time meant first responders were very busy responding to occurrences,” the review said, speaking generally about police working conditions in Colchester District.
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