As stated on their website, the National Police Federation (NPF) represents 20,000 RCMP Members serving across Canada and internationally. It 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 Focus of the NPF is on improving public safety in Canada by focusing on increasing resources, equipment, training, and other supports for 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.
In response to the PriceWaterhouseCoopers APPS Transition Study -Final Report being referred to as a feasibility study, the NPF Directors released a statement January 24, “The PwC Final Transition study report released months late in November 2021 is not a feasibility study. In fact, the report itself clearly states that, ‘There is a significant amount of further study, analysis, and stakeholder engagement that must be completed to validate the assumptions made in this study, develop a comprehensive detailed organizational structure, service delivery model, deployment model, and to further refine the cost projections presented in this document.”
As part of the effort to keep RCMP as the law enforcement body in Alberta, the NPF have launched their KeepAlbertaRCMP campaign, a community engagement tour meant to inform Albertans on a different perspective of what changing to a provincial policing system can mean for the province and its people.
Offering both virtual and in-person sessions, the NPF will be giving the information and feedback received through these sessions to the provincial government. In a virtual session on January 27, the NPF showed a specific breakdown of the costs associated with RCMP services currently, as well as the cost increases if a provincial police system is implemented. They also explained how costs are currently covered, and what impact provincial policing will have on receiving federal funding for policing services. Governance, and staffing projections were also shown, and the opportunity for participants to ask questions of the two Directors and Vice President of the NPF were given.
These sessions, which began this month will continue throughout the province until the end of March. The Community Engagement Tour will be coming to Vermilion on February 16. To register, or for more information on the campaign, visit KeepAlbertaRCMP.ca.