Councils want proof that newest Mounties are reducing crime before more are added

Shane Magee · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 26, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

Three councils successful areas policed by the Codiac Regional RCMP don't privation to o.k. much Mounties unless information shows the latest to beryllium hired person made a quality successful section crime.

Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview councils person each passed akin motions implicit the past period calling for a "comprehensive information analysis" to measure the interaction of adding 17 much Mounties this year.

"The municipalities privation to beryllium accountable to the taxpayers to amusement that these investments are having the desired results we privation to spot successful our communities," a study by Riverview municipality unit astir the question states.

The votes would impact a program presented past autumn that projected adding 15 much officers successful 2026 and 14 much successful 2027. The program would person accrued the budgeted fig of officers to 202, up from 156 successful 2024.

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But the question would hold the hiring. The Riverview assembly study says the RCMP volition person the 2026 calendar twelvemonth to measure the effect of the 17 caller officers earlier approving adding much arsenic outlined successful the plan.

Don Moore, the policing authorization committee chair, said the effect would crook a three-year program for staffing increases into a five-year plan. The civilian board oversees Codiac RCMP, drafting a fund that each assembly is asked to approve.

Moore welcomed the motion, saying the committee needs to person a bully moving narration with the 3 municipalities. 

"This includes an knowing connected however bash we marque policing successful, and 1 of those ways to marque policing palmy is to person the due measures to marque definite that we're reducing crime," Moore said. 

"The that's the occupation of the constabulary force, but we request to marque definite we person the due justifications connected expanding fund and expanding the fig of members for policing successful our region."

While the motions accidental "any petition for further staffing increases" would person to hold for the data, Moore said the policing authorization whitethorn inactive petition an summation for 2026 to support up with colonisation growth. 

The Moncton metropolis unit study astir the question notes the question isn't binding.

If there's a disagreement and councils don't o.k. the fund projected by the policing authority, the Police Act says the province's section authorities curate steps successful to acceptable the budget. 

While the 17 caller positions were budgeted for 2025, the RCMP has until the extremity of the twelvemonth to really capable the positions. That's successful portion wherefore 2026 volition beryllium utilized to asses immoderate change. 

The policing authorization is considering respective of what it calls "key show indicators" that volition beryllium utilized to measurement the effect of the further officers.

What those indicators measurement has yet to beryllium announced oregon described to municipal councils.

That was a root of vexation erstwhile the question was debated astatine a Moncton committee gathering successful February. 

"How tin we anticipation measure based connected information erstwhile we haven't decided what the commencement information is, and we don't person it?" Coun. Susan Edgett said during the Feb. 24 meeting. 

Moore said the policing authorization plans to question input from the municipalities connected imaginable indicators successful the coming weeks. 

Councils privation fund sooner

The motions besides telephone for the policing authorization to outline its projected fund earlier successful the year, anterior to erstwhile the municipalities commencement drafting their own budgets. 

Moncton metropolis unit noted successful a study that the policing authorization fund has climbed 65 per cent implicit 4 years, compared to a 38.5 per cent summation successful the city's operating fund implicit that time.

In 2024, the policing authorization sought a $9.3 cardinal fund summation for 2025. 

"When ample fund requests are introduced precocious successful the process, they tin disrupt the workflow, hinder broad review, pb to rushed decision-making, interaction negatively taxpayers and marque it challenging to integrate these requests into the existing fiscal plan," the Moncton unit study states. 

Moore said successful an interrogation that the policing authorization expects to beryllium capable to hole its fund sooner, saying the timeline volition spot figures presented to municipal unit by aboriginal May alternatively of precocious August oregon September.