Mounties in New Brunswick have announced where 51 new frontline policing positions will be added over the next two years.
The new members were part of $20.5 million in additional funding announced in the most recent provincial budget in March.
“We were able to identify where the new frontline resources were most needed to provide a more equitable distribution of resources given the large areas we cover to enhance public and officer safety,” Cpl. Hans Ouellette with the New Brunswick RCMP said in a news release.
“We continue to invest in community engagement programs, training efforts, educational initiatives, and technology enhancements that contribute to a holistic approach to policing our communities.”
One RSC to get 15 new officers, another will get none
Nearly one-third of the new positions — 15 in total — will be located in Regional Service Commission (RSC) 11 in central New Brunswick.
It includes Cambridge-Narrows, Chipman, Fredericton Junction, Gagetown, Millville, Minto, Nackawic, New Maryland, Oromocto, Stanley, and Tracy. The Fredericton Police Force polices part of the area.
Eight officers will be hired in the Southeast RSC, which includes Alma, Beaubassin-East, Cap-Pelé, Dieppe, Dorchester, Hillsborough, Memramcook, Moncton, Petitcodiac, Port Elgin, Riverside-Albert, Riverview, Sackville, Salisbury, and Shediac.
The Kent RSC in eastern New Brunswick will receive six officers. It includes the communities of Bouctouche, Cocagne, Rexton, Richibucto, Rogersville, Saint-Antoine, and Saint-Louis de Kent.
An additional six officers will be hired in RSC 12 in western New Brunswick. It includes Aroostook, Bath, Canterbury, Centreville, Florenceville-Bristol, Hartland, Meductic, Perth-Andover, and Plaster Rock. The Woodstock Police Force polices part of the area.
The Acadian Peninsula RSC will receive four more officers to serve the communities of Bas-Caraquet, Bertrand, Caraquet, Grande-Anse, Lamèque, Le Goulet, Maisonnette, Neguac, Paquetville, Sainte-Marie-Saint-Raphaël, Saint-Isidore, Saint-Léolin, Shippagan, and Tracadie.
The Fundy RSC in southern New Brunswick will also get four more officers. That includes the communities of Grand Bay-Westfield, St. Martins, and several rural areas. The Saint John Police Force and the Kennebecasis Regional Police Force police part of the area.
Two more officers will be added to RSC 8, which includes Hampton, Norton and Sussex, along with several smaller communities.
An additional two officers will also be hired in the Northwest RSC, which includes Drummond, Haut-Madawaska, Lac Baker, Rivière-Verte, Saint-André, Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska, Saint-Léonard, and Saint-Quentin. The Grand Falls Police Force and the Edmundston Police Force police part of the area.
It is a similar story for the Restigouche RSC in northern New Brunswick, which will also get two more officers. It includes the communities of Atholville, Balmoral, Campbellton, Charlo, Dalhousie, Eel River Crossing, Kedgwick, and Tide Head.
The Southwest NB RSC will get just one new officer to patrol several communities, including Blacks Harbour, Campobello Island, Grand Manan, Harvey, McAdam, Saint Andrews, St. George, and St. Stephen.
The Miramichi RSC will also get just one new officer. It includes the communities of Blackville, Doaktown, and Upper Miramichi. The Miramichi Police Force polices part of the area.
No new officers are being added to the Chaleur RSC. Many of the larger communities are patrolled by the Bathurst Police Force and BNPP Regional Police.
You can view a map of the regional service commissions by clicking here.
How were the new resources allocated?
RCMP said the new positions were allocated based on several factors, such as the number of full-time members to population; geographical coverage per full-time member; file workload and the number of priority calls per member; crime type and severity; and feedback from district commanders on specific challenges in their area.
Mounties said the allocation per regional service commission aims to achieve “more consistent and balanced police to population and police to kilometre ratios between the different commissions.”
According to the RCMP, before the additions, the officer-to-population ratio ranged from 0.7 in the Northwest RSC to 1.3 in the Southwest NB RSC. Now, the ratio will be between 1.0 and 1.5.
The funding increase also supports new positions and resources in the Internet Child Exploitation Unit, Digital Forensic Services, the Explosive Device Unit, the Emergency Response Team, Police Dog Services, the Operational Communication Centre, and the Major Crime Unit.
A chart outlining where 51 new frontline RCMP officers will be located in New Brunswick and the impact it will have on the officer-to-population ratio. Image: New Brunswick RCMP
