RCMP Facing ‘Systemic Sustainability Challenges’ Due to Provincial Policing Role

RCMP Facing ‘Systemic Sustainability Challenges’ Due to Provincial Policing Role
The RCMP logo is seen outside Royal Canadian Mounted Police "E" Division Headquarters, in Surrey, B.C., on April 13, 2018. Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press
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OTTAWA—The RCMP’s costly contract policing obligations across Canada are draining resources from the force’s federal duties in areas such as organized crime and national security, an internal government memo warns.

The demand for contract officers in the provinces and territories where they provide regular local policing services outstrips the RCMP’s capacity to recruit and train them, causing shortages that have led to officer health and wellness concerns, says the Public Safety Canada document.