Liberals propose new Manitoba police force

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This article was published 19/06/2019 (1972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A new Manitoba police service would complement — not replace — the law enforcement work of the RCMP and First Nations Police Services, provincial Liberal leader Dougald Lamont says.

One day after Premier Brian Pallister announced an election for Sept. 10, Lamont said a Liberal government would move the $151 million already being paid to the RCMP for “contract policing” and redirect it to the new Manitoba Police Service to staff local community police offices in rural and Indigenous communities.

Lamont said it is necessary because crime rates in rural Manitoba are higher than in Winnipeg.

“We believe there would be a bigger bang for the buck,” he said on Thursday, standing in front of the Legislative Building with eight Liberal MLA candidates behind him.

“Under the PCs’ cuts and inaction, it is only getting worse. There are too many gaps in policing in Manitoba due to years of budget cuts and it is time to invest in a solution that will work province wide.

“We need to localize services that directly deal with public safety, health care and education. You have a right to feel safe in your own home.”

Lamont said they would also create special units with the Manitoba Provincial Police for other areas including Indigenous policing, border security, and organized crime.

He said the idea of a provincial police service follows the recommendations of the national report into MIssing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, which called for the creation of an Indigenous unit commanded and staffed by First Nations to “complement and enhance the work being done by First Nations Police Forces.”

“The goal of the Manitoba Police Service is to have policing delivered by people from the community so we can build long-term trust with law enforcement and people can feel safe in their communities,” Lamont said.

Lamont said the Liberals would consult with Indigenous and rural communities about the idea with the hope the police service could be up and running within its first mandate if elected.

In a statement, Justice Minister Cliff Cullen called the idea of a provincial police service “a risky promise.

“Our government has fostered strong partnerships with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and municipal police services throughout Manitoba, and we are committed to giving them the support they need to keep families safe in their homes and communities. That’s why we’ve allowed for an increase in the RCMP staffing complement by 27 officers this year and have invested $2.3 million more in provincial policing, bringing our total investment to $205 million this year.”

Cullen said the increased funding would help “improve police collaboration and enforcement as we work to combat organized crime and the illicit drug trade.”

In a statement, NDP leader Wab Kinew said “crime is getting worse under Brian Pallister and rural or northern families deserve support.

“But we need real investments in front line services that actually keep communities safe and address the root causes of crime, not just more bureaucracy.”

As well, two criminologists expressed skepticism about the Liberal proposal.

Prof. Michael Weinrath, director of the University of Winnipeg’s Justice Research Institute, said at first blush the promise seems good, because local control over a police force “sounds great, especially when stories of understaffing and general criticism of the RCMP hit the news.

“(But) I do not think this is a good idea. The RCMP still have considerable public support, and Manitoba as a have not province cannot afford to provide the infrastructure support that the Mounties have.

“It’s a promise that is easy to make but unlikely to occur once the actual cost is calculated.”

And Frank Cormier, head of the University of Manitoba’s Department of Sociology and Criminology, said there is another way of addressing problems in policing in rural areas and Indigenous communities caused by budget cuts to the RCMP.

“There are many locations in Manitoba understaffed,” Cormier said.

“If the perceived problem is the police are not effective, that’s one thing, but if it is because they are under resourced, the most obvious solution is just to replace the resources.”

Meanwhile, the Liberals also promised to hand over 25 per cent of cannabis revenues to municipalities and invest in triage for mental health and addictions resources so police officers could focus more on criminals while people experiencing mental health and addictions crises could be treated safely.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca