(CBC News) – The Northwest Territories may revive the special constable program to help small RCMP detachments live up to the new backup policy, a justice department official says.
In the early years of northern development, local special constables were commonly used in remote detachments to provide a range of services.
This week it became mandatory for RCMP officers to call for backup when they respond to potentially violent calls. However,l details such as how to pay for the additional work have yet to be worked out.
The N.W.T. government, which pays for 70 per cent of policing costs with Ottawa picking up the rest, thinks training local people in basic policing may be the answer for the North, said Bronwyn Watters, deputy assistant minister of justice.
The special constables would get the same enforcement training as regular police officers at the Regina RCMP training depot, with the exception of the investigative component, she said.
“They’d be fully armed and we have been told that they would be able to serve as backup,” she said. “So, for instance, in a two-man detachment, they could be a third member, being able to relieve one of the other two members.”
Although the plan still needs approval from the RCMP, the government hopes the program will get the go-ahead, she said.
For the time being, detachments are being told to make do with the number of officers they currently have on staff.
The change in policy was the RCMP’s response to calls for better safety after two officers, both responding to calls by themselves, were shot and killed earlier this year in the North.
If you wish to compel the RCMP to come up to CLC standards, and provide safety for rural officers, be prepared for a large tax bill. Special constables would be a waste of money. Put fully trained officers into those areas. Bring up the standard compliment to where safety is at least acknowledged. This is not the 1950’s. Sgt. Preston is a myth. Someone should tell Ottawa.
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While some RCMP management is known for building silo like empires, we must remember that there is some danger in having too many different law enforcement agencies.
One only has to look south to the USA to see the effects of this phenomenon. Poor information and intelligence flow, different training standards, and incompatible communications and operating procedures result in ineffective law enforcement.
And while it’s tempting to say that writing traffic tickets is an easy job and does not require a fully trained police officer, let’s not discount the number of serious criminal investigations that are solved by a simple traffic stop by an astute, fully trained officer.
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Why not have provincial special constables? You could have retired police officers do this. It is better than sharing a beat with a private security company, as is the case in Shediac NB.
In the United States the special constable system seems to work well. In the US there is more jurisdictional cross over so agencies are more used to working with each other. I also believe agencies in the US are more comfortable with state special constables because the extreme elitism just isn’t in the law enforcement system.
They have also taken it a step further in the US by allowing retired police to carry guns as part of homeland security. I met a former NYPD officer who still has been given a retired police officer badge and has a gun. He’s a great guy and someone I would absolutely want watching my back. This is a little extreme for Canada, but I don’t think there have been any problems in the US with this program.
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The RCMP are very protective of their turf …… Look at the sheriffs when they were put in place to assist the Mounties in Alberta . Lots of sour grapes during the initial phase . My opinion the more law enforcement types the better . We should be all on the same team with a common purpose . Protect and maintain public Peace…… Leave the politics at the front door ……
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