Fourteen RNC cadets who were unable to finish their program due to the pandemic may yet travel to another province to continue their studies.

Chief Joe Boland gave an update today on a proposal that seeks to send the class of 2020 to the Atlantic Police Academy in Prince Edward Island.

In previous years, the program has been offered from the Annex, which is located at RNC headquarters, in partnership with Memorial University. This year, the January to June semester was abruptly cut short in March due to the COVID-19 shutdowns.

Boland says the Atlantic Police Academy has a greater capacity to accommodate students through the pandemic, and the institution has accepted the recruits. He expects that the provincial government will finalize the move later this week.

The RNC will absorb the cost of sending the cadets to PEI through its annual budget, and members of the program should be ready to join the force in December.

While Boland acknowledges that the delayed graduation is a setback, he says the shortage of incoming officers this year doesn’t hold a candle to past hardships. In comparison, he says the hiring freeze in the 90s left the Constabulary scrambling to replenish their numbers.