Latest news with #municipalPolice
CBC
26-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
N.S. mayors concerned province 'pushing' municipal police out as government expands RCMP role
Some Nova Scotia mayors of municipalities with their own police forces are concerned the province's move to expand the RCMP's role will push out municipal departments, leading to worse service and less local control. Justice Minister Becky Druhan said Nova Scotia will move to a provincial policing model with the RCMP providing both local and specialized services for the province, but will allow municipalities to keep their own forces if they can meet higher standards. Some of those standards include access to underwater recovery teams or emergency response teams. Mayor David Mitchell of the Town of Bridgewater, which has its own police force, said he doesn't understand how the PC government came to this conclusion when municipal services are cheaper and have shown faster response times with more local visibility than the RCMP. "I'm confused and again need clarification from the minister on how the report that says the RCMP rural model isn't working is now going to be the model that is pushed on municipalities," Mitchell said Thursday. "I see this as kind of pushing municipal policing out, and moving people to the RCMP." Druhan announced the changes Wednesday following an extensive review into Nova Scotia's policing structure. It was carried out by Deloitte and informed by a survey of 7,000 Nova Scotians, as well as an advisory panel made up of municipal police, RCMP and people from diverse communities. The report found that the current structure was not working, with "many respondents" from rural and Indigenous communities saying they were unhappy with RCMP performance. They raised concerns around slow response times, lack of visible police presence, and how the Mounties "are not integrated into the community." The review suggested Nova Scotia start with the RCMP for the provincial policing model, and later decide if creating a provincially run police service would be better. Current examples include the Ontario Provincial Police. Druhan said the province will invest more to ensure proper staffing levels are met across Nova Scotia, but Mitchell said he's concerned about the Mounties' ability to produce enough people when they are " already understaffed and stretched very thin." Although the report noted that RCMP are often asked to assist municipal forces with special services, Mitchell said it missed the fact that municipal forces also are asked to help the Mounties in many cases. "I kind of equate it to the report being like a trial that only hears from the prosecution and doesn't need to hear from the defence," Mitchell said. He said he has spoken to most of the mayors using the 10 municipal police forces, who share his concerns about getting lower service levels with the RCMP. Kentville Mayor Andrew Zebian said he's worried about the "hefty price" that would come if the town tried to boost its 22-person department to meet the standards. "They're not forcing you out of local, out of community policing, but it kind of feels that way," Zebian said Thursday. He echoed Mitchell's concerns about having the quality of policing change. In a small town like Kentville, it's easy to get to know the officers and they respond to calls "within a minute," Zebian said. Many municipal departments have already formalized special services with other municipal units across the province, like larger forces sharing dog teams with smaller ones. In northern Nova Scotia, Truro joined forces with Amherst, Westville, Stellarton and New Glasgow to create a regional major crimes unit. Druhan said Thursday that any current arrangements can carry forward, but any new contracts for specialized services must go through the RCMP. Mitchell said he was concerned to hear that, because the RCMP's specialized services can often be late. A couple of years ago, Mitchell said, it took "many days" for the RCMP's dive team to respond to a fatal collision involving a car that went into a river. He is hopeful Druhan will be more flexible on allowing municipal forces to collaborate with "other police services that are capable, or more than capable," of meeting the standards as she starts her tour to consult with municipalities. Yarmouth Mayor Pam Mood, president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities, said she's confident that the province has "done their homework" and the minister wouldn't be promising higher staffing levels unless the RCMP assured her they could meet the need. "I think that it would be easier for an entire province to be under one police force. I mean, that's, that's not a question. You know, nobody wants things to be scattered," Mood said. "However, you know, we have 10 municipal police forces. I understand they're doing, you know, tremendously great work. You don't fix what's not broken. So I think that the conversations that each municipal unit has with the province, with regard to how their police force is working, is going to be very important." Mood worked for the RCMP in Nova Scotia as a civilian member for nearly 20 years, she said. Funding will be the key issue for many municipalities, Mood said, because policing is often the most expensive item for local governments. "We just want to make sure we can provide that high level of service within our means. And the province is saying the same thing, high level of service within your budgetary means. And if we can bring those two things together, then that's a win," Mood said. Yarmouth contracts the RCMP for policing, and Mood said they have been "wonderful, no issues." But she said community policing is often the first thing to go when staffing levels are low, and her residents do want more Mountie boots on the street. The province's move to "layered policing" that will see community safety officers mobilized to handle non-emergency calls like hospital transfers or wellness checks could be a big help, Mood said, freeing up officers for core policing duties. The Deloitte review was partly spurred by a recommendation from the Mass Casualty Commission to examine the policing structure in the province following the shooting rampage in central and northern Nova Scotia that left 22 people dead in April 2020. The commission's final report, released in March 2023, was highly critical of the RCMP's response to the mass shooting. It highlighted issues with the culture of the Mounties, and poor co-operation and co-ordination between the RCMP and municipal police. But Liberal MLA Iain Rankin said he finds it odd that the PC government is talking about making transformational change when they're actually "doubling down" on the current hybrid model with multiple services providing policing. "I think it's time that we have a conversation about a provincial police force," Rankin told reporters Thursday, suggesting it should not be carried out by the RCMP. He said the cultural issues within the RCMP raised by the commission, and other reports across Canada, have not been addressed. "To just say we're going to allow an expansion of that police force, I think, is problematic," Rankin said. NDP MLA Susan Leblanc said it's clear that whatever policing model is chosen for each municipality, communities have to lead the process and decide what they need.
CTV News
17-06-2025
- CTV News
An 80-year-old drives a luxury Mercedes sedan down Rome's Spanish Steps and gets stuck
ROME — An 80-year-old man drove a compact luxury Mercedes-Benz A Class sedan down the landmark Spanish Steps in Rome early on Tuesday before getting stuck part way down, municipal police said in a statement. The man tested negative for alcohol, and was cited on the spot for driving down the monument in Rome's historic centre, police said. Police did not identify the driver or say if the car was his. They also did not say whether or not he was using a navigator. The small sporty car was later removed by firefighters using a crane. Police did not respond to requests for more details about the dynamics of the apparent accident. One of Rome's most recognizable monuments, the Spanish Steps have never been intended for motor vehicles, although some thrill seekers have tried their luck. A Saudi man was charged with aggravated damage to cultural heritage after a surveillance camera recorded him driving a rented Maserati down the 135 travertine steps in 2022. The Spanish Steps take their name from the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See in the nearby square. A famed background for numerous films, they were built in the 1720s and have long been a popular spot to people watch and hang out.
CBC
20-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Kelowna, B.C., has the most RCMP officers in Canada — but it's thinking of ditching the force
Social Sharing Kelowna, B.C., which hosts the largest RCMP detachment in Canada, is exploring the possibility of ditching the national police force. The city has issued a request for bids, seeking a company to conduct a review of its current policing model and compare it to a municipal police force. The review will recommend the "optimal model" for Kelowna based on factors including value for service and capacity to meet future demands, the city said in procurement documents. It follows a March report from the federal government that focused on "modernizing the RCMP" and suggested that the national police force begin transitioning away from providing contract policing to municipalities. "The expiration of current Police Services Agreements in 2032 presents the first opportunity for implementing this next phase of policing in Canada," the federal report said. Kelowna is the largest city in B.C.'s Okanagan region and is "rapidly growing," according to Kelowna community safety director Darren Caul. It has a current population of about 160,000 people, and is projected to reach 210,000 residents by 2040. "We need to ensure that our community's priority for safety and a livable Kelowna persists now and into the future. This is about proactive planning and it's about being fiscally responsible," Caul said of the requested review, speaking with CBC's Daybreak South host Chris Walker. The city said it is facing more social issues, as well. "Like all Canadian cities, Kelowna has grappled in recent years with homelessness arising from a national housing crisis. Livability, crime and safety are top concerns for Kelowna businesses, residents, and City Council," the city said in its procurement documents. Kelowna's decision to explore a municipal force comes just months after Surrey, B.C., completed its transition to a municipal-run police service. The move, which was the biggest policing transition in Canadian history, came after years of divisive debate between the provincial government and the city. High policing costs Kelowna is home to the Central Okanagan RCMP regional hub, which serves Peachland, West Kelowna, Kelowna, Lake Country, Westbank First Nation and a portion of Okanagan Lake, according to the city. The hub consists of about 325 regular members and 130 municipal employees, making it the largest RCMP detachment in Canada. The regional municipalities and the RCMP are "actively de-regionalizing" over the next year, the City of Kelowna said, as cities take more responsibility over their own policing needs. There will be several new RCMP detachment commanders in the region, shifting away from having one central detachment. Once that's completed, the Kelowna RCMP detachment will be the third largest in the country, with about 250 regular members and 110 municipal employees, the city said. The city noted that it has invested in public safety at "unprecedented levels" in recent years. Caul said in an interview that the city spent about $58 million on policing this year alone. "Policing costs are one of the highest annual operating expenditures within the City's Financial Plan making up an estimated 26 per cent of taxation," the city said. "The City is highly committed to strong fiscal stewardship and has an obligation to ensure that its taxpayers are always receiving the best value for money from contract services." The city has put aside a maximum of $350,000 for the policing review, which it hopes will begin in July of this year, with a final report to be presented in February 2026. When CBC News contacted Kelowna RCMP for comment, they suggested contacting the city. Surrey, B.C., just outside of Vancouver, made the switch to a municipal force in late 2024 after years of political tension around transitioning away from the RCMP. WATCH | Surrey, B.C., ditches the RCMP: After years of divisive debate, Surrey Police Service replaces RCMP 6 months ago Duration 2:26 Former solicitor general and former Richmond, B.C., police chief Kash Heed said any kind of police reform comes with barriers. "You're going to have a massive political fight on your hands, similar to Surrey, because there are going to be people that don't believe that they want to transition from the RCMP to something else," Heed said. He added that the province is responsible for policing; Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke tried to stop the transition away from RCMP after she was elected in 2022, but the province pushed the change forward. "The solicitor general has the power to create these types of services within the province of British Columbia, regardless of what the municipalities want or the local government wants," Heed said.
