The National Police Federation has launched an online petition calling on the provincial government to “make public safety a priority” in the upcoming budget.
The federation says more than 450 members of the RCMP serve some 650 communities across Newfoundland and Labrador, providing public safety for more than half the province’s population spread over 80 per cent of its land mass.
The petition says to keep up with the changing nature of crime and public safety; communities need what it calls innovative solutions that provide support, resources, equipment and funding for the RCMP and all other social services so they can adapt to meet the needs of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
The federation says the provincial government must act and fund a stronger RCMP presence in the province. It says the province’s funding of public safety has not been keeping up with the changing level and nature of crime.
(Stock photo.)
It says the ratio of police officers per capita has dropped by 7.5 per cent over the last decade from 174 officers per 100,000 people in 2013 to 161 per 100,000 in 2023.
In the meantime, Mental Health Act calls and well-being checks have increased by 156 per cent from 2016 to 2023, while overall, crime in the province has increased by 20 per cent over a five-year period (from 2019 to 2023) according to Statistics Canada’s Crime Severity Index.
The petition is calling on the provincial government to make public safety a priority in this year’s budget.
