Brett Bundale (Times Transcript) – An RCMP public opinion poll has found New Brunswickers are among the most satisfied with the Mounties, despite documents that show some municipalities aren’t paying their police bills.
The survey found 90 per cent of New Brunswickers are satisfied with the RCMP’s contribution towards ensuring safe homes and communities, above the national average of 84 per cent.
But regardless of the high opinion of the police force in the province, several villages and towns are behind on their payments.
Chief superintendent for the RCMP J Division Todd Shean said the RCMP in New Brunswick are proud of the poll results but said billing and payment “is an issue that rests between the province and municipalities.”
“That is a discussion certainly happening between provincial and municipal leaders.”
Finance Minister Blaine Higgs made a commitment last month to collect overdue sums, sending the Department of Public Safety scrambling to put in place a payment plan.
In his budget speech, Higgs said the government “takes seriously the repayment and collection of revenue owed to the province and will be implementing measures that will improve the collection of these amounts.”
Public Safety Spokeswoman Deborah Nobes said that although most municipalities pay their policing bills, the department “is working with seven municipalities on plans to catch up on outstanding payments.”
“Of those seven, five have provided government with plans for how they will repay amounts owed by the end of 2011,” she said. “Department officials are still in discussions with two municipalities regarding their plan to pay the full amount.”
Nobes said the province also has a number of options to collect amounts owing, such as withholding unconditional grant money, but said there is no plan to do so at this time.
In addition, she said the province has put in place a better reminder system to avoid late payments in future, which includes issuing reminders when a municipality misses two payments in a row.
The government of New Brunswick pays Ottawa for the RCMP’s regional services and then bills each municipality on a quarterly basis.
According to documents filed with the clerk of the legislature, however, some municipalities have neglected to pay their invoice for law and order services.
The town of Shippagan, for example, owes the province about $2.5 million for RCMP services and has carried an outstanding balance since the 1990s.
But some municipality groups say the increasing price of public safety is putting a strain on cash-strapped municipalities and is unsustainable. They suggest teaming up on public safety as way to reduce costs.
One of the issues on the table as Local Government Minister Bruce Fitch tours the province on a public consultation tour is regional service delivery.
The idea of forming a regional municipal police force was championed in a report on municipal governance by Jean-Guy Finn.
He said regionalizing police services would be more cost-effective and lead to more efficient use of scarce human, financial and technical support resources.
But given New Brunswickers positive opinion of the RCMP, it could prove controversial to shift to an alternate method of policing in areas now under the Mounties.
For example, the RCMP survey asked the public if they have trust and confidence in the national police force.
Again, 87 per cent of New Brunswickers agreed, above the Canadian average of 84 per cent.
When asked if the RCMP has strong, reliable leaders, 76 per cent of New Brunswickers said yes, above the national average of 69 per cent.
The issue of gaining the public’s trust could be one of many the province could face if it decides to switch to regional police forces rather than the RCMP.
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