The federal minister said BC Ottawa continues to support RCMP contract policing

VICTORIA — Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc says Ottawa will continue to support the RCMP as British Columbia’s contract police force serving many communities as it moves toward a national federal crime force.

Premier David Eby says the letter provides short-term certainty for contract policing in BC, but indicates the federal government wants to reform how the Mountains operate.

Eby says the critical part for the province is having someone answer 911 calls, and the big challenge the government has with the RCMP is the high number of vacancies, especially in rural communities.

LeBlanc’s letter, sent to BC Attorney General Mike Farnworth, says he wants to assure the province that the federal government is committed to honoring its contractual policing obligations.

LeBlanc says his mandate is to transform the RCMP, which he believes will become a federal police agency separate and distinct from the RCMP’s front-line contract policing operations.

Farnworth says he’s pleased with LeBlanc’s letter, especially since provinces, including B.C., have called for more police resources and a greater need for increased federal attention to policing issues.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press