Manitoba Attorney General Kelvin Herzen says the RCMP vacancy rate in our province is an increasing problem. So much so that Herzen sent a letter to the Federal Minister of Public Security asking him to take immediate action.
According to Herzen, there are fears that RCMP units, especially in the north and in indigenous communities, are operating with inadequate personnel, which affects the safety of the population, as well as the health and safety of RCMP officers. The letter states that many rural and outlying units in Manitoba have low staffing levels and that the vacant positions create serious operational problems for the affected unit, affecting the welfare of RCMP officers. Herzen says another problem is with what’s going on in Thompson, where they’re fine with their officer staff, but almost all of them are new.
Herzen says no part of Manitoba is immune to a shortage of RCMP.
“I think it’s safe to say that there is not a single place protected by the RCMP where they would not have problems with maintaining their full complement,” Herzen notes. “Of course, when I travel around Manitoba and talk to RCMP officers in different units, I constantly hear that they have a hard time keeping people inside.”
Gertzen says the Manitoba RCMP has little to no control over the vacancy rate because the number of recruits from the RCMP Depot unit is regulated at the national level. He notes that the recent temporary closure of the RCMP warehouse due to the pandemic has only exacerbated the shortage of staff that has existed in Manitoba for some time.
He notes that recent information provided to the RCMP suggests that over the next two years it is unlikely that the number of recruits will be sufficient to fill even retirement vacancies. As a result, he said, Manitoba’s staffing levels are likely to become even more challenging in the near future.
“That’s why I wrote to the Secretary of Public Safety in Ottawa to say that we need a plan, a clear plan in terms of how you are going to recruit and retain people in the RCMP, and ensure that Manitoba gets the supplement it needs. for RCMP officers,” Herzen adds.
Herzen says it’s not the professionalism or competence of RCMP members that worries him, noting that Manitoba’s judiciary has full confidence in members. He adds that appropriate additional support is needed to enable the RCMP units to continue their vital work of keeping communities safe and enforcing the law. Herzen asks the federal government to take immediate action to develop a concrete plan to address this problem.
According to Herzen, there are currently about 1,100 RCMP officers in Manitoba. In our province, the vacancy rate is about seven percent, including unfilled positions. On top of that, another 12–13% remain vacant because people are either on maternity leave, parental leave, or other sick leave. Thus, the overall vacancy rate is about 20 percent, or more than 200 employees.
“That’s a significant level of vacancies,” he says. “And since we’re concerned that the situation will get worse before it gets better, we really need to see this plan from the Federal Minister of Public Safety on what the plan is for hiring, retaining RCMP officers.”
Herzen says he has heard from Manitobans that there is not enough RCMP presence in our communities, or that response times are too long. Again, he says it’s not the fault of the RCMP officers.
The justice minister says there are things that can be done domestically to keep officers more attractive. There are also ways to make it more attractive to those who may be putting off applying to the RCMP.
“Or there might be something that needs to be done in terms of how we can train people faster,” he adds.