The Liberal Party is touting “safer communities” by promising to increase the number of police officers in the province by 120.
Leader John Hogan plans to hire 90 new RNC officers by 2030. To achieve that, his government will grant each new RNC recruit a $20,000 bursary toward the completion of a Police Science (Cadet) Certificate at the Atlantic Police Academy in PEI.
He also hopes to renegotiate the province’s policing agreement with the RCMP to deploy 30 more officers to the province.
Hogan admits however, that alone won’t necessarily reduce crime in the province as crime prevention is a complex issue.
“It’s not just about enforcement. It’s not just about prevention. It’s about things like poverty reduction. It’s about things like addiction. It’s about things like…food security” says Hogan.
He says a woman raised the matter on the campaign trail in Lewisporte yesterday, “it is not a one-size-fits-all approach” he admits. “We need to work with all groups, not in silos, to address this problem.”
Among the Liberals’ initiatives to build safer communities:
- Expand the use of location monitoring equipment for individuals out on bail or with release conditions
- Add Body Worn Cameras for RNC officers.
- Introduce a Civil Forfeiture Act to allow Police to seize property suspected of being connected to crime.
- Create a joint RNC/RCMP Crime Reduction Unit solely to conduct targeted compliance checks.
- Create a provincial Victims of Crime Support Unit, and expand the Intimate Partner Violence Team.
- Introduce new, modernized Public Safety Legislation to create transparency.
- Remove “barriers” associated with out-of-province education for public safety professionals.
- Provide additional funding to municipalities to hire and train additional municipal enforcement officers.
