RCMP working on increasing number of recruits: Minister

According to a federal minister, the RCMP is working to address their under-staffing issue.

Earlier this year, the RCMP in Saskatchewan said they were dealing with staffing issues. While the official numbers are around four per cent, there have been reports the province could be under served by about 25 per cent.

Canada’s Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said Wednesday the RCMP has embarked on an extensive recruitment campaign.

“They are hoping in this coming year to have a new class graduating from depot – the depot training academy in Regina – virtually every single week rather than every month or every two weeks,” he said.

Goodale noted the RCMP wants to get recruits out as rapidly as they can without compromising the training they receive. The minister also said the RCMP want new recruits to reflect Canada’s diversity.

“From a language point of view, a gender point of view, a multi-cultural point of view, that they have the full country reflected in the graduates that they are turning out form the depot.”

He said one of the challenges has been getting new and young people into the system and interested in police work.

“The force has stepped up its recruiting efforts in the last six to eight months,”

Goodale noted an aging workforce has been a reason for the lack of staffing, and indicated more people are retiring now.