Ottawa, ON — The following is a statement from Brian Sauvé, President of the National Police Federation, ahead of planned meetings with federal officials next week to reiterate our critical funding asks.
“RCMP Members have experienced new and unforeseen challenges over the past decade, all of which have been further exacerbated by the risks and demands of COVID-19. Despite years of significant cutbacks, the demand for policing that goes beyond crime prevention and law enforcement is greater than ever.
In August, in our 2021 Federal pre-Budget Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance, we called on the government to:
- invest $190 million to increase training capacity at the RCMP Academy to fill vacancies and decrease the backlog due to impacts of COVID-19;
- invest $40 million to expedite the replacement of aging and unsafe 25-year-old RCMP service pistols through the RCMP Pistol Replacement Program; and
- invest $50 million to implement Body-Worn Cameras to improve safety for our Members and those they serve.
The National Police Federation believes the federal government must address these timely and pressing challenges, and more, to ensure ongoing community, public and Member safety. We look forward to discussing these important issues next week, during our first ever virtual meetings with them.”
About the National Police Federation:
The National Police Federation (NPF) was certified to represent ~20,000 RCMP front-line Members serving across Canada and internationally in the summer of 2019, and its elected national Board of Directors confirmed in early 2020. 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 negotiating the first-ever Collective Agreement for RCMP officers, and 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.
For more information: https://npf-fpn.com/
Media contact:
Fabrice de Dongo
Manager, Media Relations
National Police Federation
fdedongo@npf-fpn.com
T: 647-274-7118