The National Police Federation is calling on all political parties to correct what it sees as an imbalance in resource allocations between the RCMP and Royal Newfoundland Constabulary.

RCMP serve abut 55 per cent of the population according to the federation, but cover about 80 per cent of the geographical territory, much of it rural.

Brian Sauve, president and CEO, says calls for service in RCMP-served areas have risen by 12 per cent and mental-health calls by 70 per cent.

At the same time, the RCMP’s officer-to-resident ratio has declined, and its budget increased by 15 per cent, compared to 22 per cent increase for the RNC.

He says their members are forced to do more with less which means that rural areas are being left behind. Sauve says the wording of the promises by party leaders on crime and police would only widen the resource gap at the expense of the RCMP.