B.C. government bolstering RCMP staffing levels

Nov 23, 2022 | 5:10 PM

The B.C. government has made a commitment to enhancing RCMP staffing levels across the province.

Premier David Eby announced Wednesday (Nov. 23), that funding will be provided to boost specialized units and rural police forces in B.C.

“For the first time, British Columbia is committing to sustained, core funding for the RCMP. The RCMP will receive $230-million over three years,” said Eby.

“The new funding will help keep our streets safer for everyone by supporting the RCMP to operate at full strength, which is just over 2,600 officers.”

Eby stated there were 277 vacancies in RCMP detachments throughout the province, and that those staffing shortages affect law enforcement capabilities and public safety.

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“Once fully staffed up, police will be able to provide better service in all parts of the province,” said Eby.

“It will also free up members to work on specialized teams that investigate and prevent complex violent and organized crime.”

Those specialized units include major crimes, sexual exploitation of children, and highway patrol, which Eby said operate throughout the province and help take pressures off municipal police forces.

The province’s investment will be available for detachments to make requests for more recruits out of the RCMP depot, rather than have police forces make budget requests through their municipalities.

Eby noted the expenditure over the three years comes as the province has the lowest unemployment rate in the country and is seeing more people, especially women, return to work and contribute to the economy.

Eby added there will be more support for prosecutors and probation officers managing violent and high risk offenders. He said new Repeat Violent Offender Response Teams, made up of police, prosecutors and probation officers, will be launched in B.C.

The announcement Wednesday builds off Eby’s previous Safer Communities Action Plan announcements, which includes a focus on repeat offenders and enhancing mental health teams, and the tightening of bail conditions for repeat offenders.

by Liam Verster

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