Vancouver, BC — Following is a Letter to the Editor from Brian Sauvé, President of the National Police Federation, in response to a recent column in the Vancouver Sun.
On behalf of our ~6,500 RCMP Members in British Columbia, we are responding to Ian Mulgrew’s Mar 27 column “B.C.’s broken policing system a boondoggle”. While, as a columnist, Mr. Mulgrew has a right to his opinion, it’s also important that the Vancouver Sun present accurate information on such an important topic as public safety and policing.
As a fact-based organization, the National Police Federation conducts regular research across the country through Pollara Strategic Insights, Statistics Canada, government reports and other sources. Our most recent national survey, conducted in December 2021, showed that 76% of Canadians and 75% of British Columbians in RCMP-served communities are satisfied with policing in their community. In fact, support in B.C. actually increased from 71% in December 2020.
Support for defunding police is waning from 30% in June 2020, to 26% in December 2020 and 21% in December 2021. Here in B.C. only 22% felt police budgets should be reduced. Half of respondents nationally and here in B.C. said they would feel ‘less safe’ with lower police budgets.
Finally, Mr. Mulgrew asserted that there is no standardized training for police officers in B.C. when, in fact, municipal police officers all receive the same training at the Justice Institute of B.C. and all RCMP officers are trained at Depot, the RCMP’s national training facility in Regina.
There are certainly opportunities to increase and better focus funding and resources for police and social services to improve public safety and quality of life in B.C. We welcome these conversations with decision-makers at all levels.
Brian Sauvé, President
National Police Federation
About the National Police Federation:
The National Police Federation (NPF) was certified to represent ~20,000 RCMP Members serving across Canada and internationally in the summer of 2019. The NPF is the largest police labour relations organization in Canada; the second largest in North America and is the first independent national association to represent RCMP Members.
The NPF is focused on improving public safety in Canada by focusing on increasing resources, equipment, training, and other supports for our Members who have been under-funded for far too long. Better resourcing and supports for the RCMP will enhance community safety and livability in the communities we serve, large and small, across Canada.
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For more information: https://npf-fpn.com/
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