Major spending hike for Codiac RCMP proposed, adding 17 officers
Codiac Regional Policing Authority's proposed budget still needs municipal approval
A major increase in spending and staffing has been proposed for the Codiac Regional RCMP.
The Codiac Regional Policing Authority, the civilian board overseeing the force, unanimously voted Thursday evening to support a $59 million budget for 2025. That's a 29 per cent budget increase from this year.
It includes adding 17 more police officers and five civilian support staff.
The budget would need to be approved by councils in Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview, the communities policed by Codiac RCMP, later this year.
"We've had significant increase in population in our community," Don Moore, chair of the policing authority board, told Information Morning Moncton on Friday. "That alone — we haven't kept up with the policing needs."
The Moncton metro region had one of Canada's fastest growing populations, Statistics Canada reported earlier this year.
The policing authority is funded by the three municipalities with a formula accounting for population and calls to police. Moncton's share in 2025 would be 70.8 per cent, with Dieppe at 18.5 and Riverview at 10.7.
Moncton Mayor Dawn Arnold said city council has yet to review all of the details.
"I fully acknowledge that we have a growing community, but it does seem enormous at first blush," Arnold said of her initial reaction to the budget increase.
Dieppe Mayor Yvon Lapierre and Riverview Mayor Andrew LeBlanc did not provide interviews.
The budget proposal, if approved, would be the largest single-year increase in police staffing.
It would increase th budgeted number of regular officers from 156 this year to 173.
Moore
said the board is also recommending more increases in future years.
Fifteen officers are proposed to be added in 2026, followed by 14 more
in 2027 to bring the force to 202 members.
Information Morning - Moncton 11:26 The numbers followed a police workload review by PwC, formerly PricewaterhouseCoopers, an auditing and consulting firm.
Moore declined to share the full report with CBC, citing "a significant security aspect."
Arnold wants to see the report.
"I believe in data, and that's why we want the full workload analysis to see what we're dealing with here," Arnold said.
Moore said the increase should help address concerns residents have voiced about the visibility of police.
"With 46 additional police officers over the next three years, I would tend to think that that would increase that visibility that would help people understand that they have a role in our community, that we can be more safe and secure," Moore said.
Traffic unit proposed in 2026
Ten of the officers proposed for 2026 would be to re-establish a traffic unit, something some Moncton councillors requested.
Overall, the budget forecasts spending $13,436,019 more than this year when accounting for a previous deficit.
The new police and civilian staff account for $2.7 million of that, while salary increases for unionized Mounties account for $1 million.
The largest portion, at $3 million, is tied to the lease of the new police station on Albert Street, set to open next year. Under a 2019 agreement, Dieppe and Riverview will pay rent to help cover Moncton's cost to construct the $57-million building.
The next largest share, at $2.3 million, is for RCMP division administration, which covers various costs provided through the J Division headquarters in Fredericton.
The budget includes just over half a million dollars for body cameras for Codiac RCMP. The cameras are expected to be deployed nationally by the end of 2025.
There is $125,000 earmarked for an executive director position, a full-time staff role recommended in a police service review last year.
Money
to begin paying policing authority board members, another
recommendation of the review, is also in this budget. Members of the
three municipal councils appointed to the board would not be paid.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Methinks the RCMP in Moncton should quit making false allegations against me on the phone on behalf of one of their former members who is also running in this election and return my calls and answer my emails N'esy Pas?
Loran Hayden
Reply to Loran Hayden
Reply to Loran Hayden
Reply to Felix Mitchell
The RCMP have reported they are having trouble recruiting, and small communities across the country say they are suffering as a result.
Where does Codiac expect to find an additional 17 RCMP officers?
David Amos
Edmonton has been getting them from the UK for years
Hugh MacDonald
If so, then why is the RCMP reporting recruiting difficulties?
David Amos
Because the shine is off the pony and other cops are better paid.
David Amos
Reply to Hugh MacDonald
BTW The RCMP and I have been at odds since 1982
Reply to Hugh MacDonald
Federal Court File No T-1557-15
Reply to David Amos
David Amos
Reply to Hugh MacDonald
David Amos
David Amos
Reply to David Amos
End of conversation.
Reply to Hugh MacDonald
Nope
Reply to Hugh MacDonald
I call them Trudeau The Younger and Higgy amongst many others
More staffing, big deal. Offenders get bail not jail, rinse and repeat.
David Amos
Reply to Andre Kornhauser
Others are never allowed bail and sit in jail for years awaiting trial
Jack Bell
"Moncton's share in 2025 would be 70.8 per cent, with Dieppe at 18.5 and Riverview at 10.7.
It would increase th budgeted number of regular officers from 156 this year to 173. "
.... uh huh... since Riverview pays for 10.7% of the police budget, shouldn't we have 10.7% of the staff patrolling out streets?
So, we should have just over 18 police...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH.
You can go months without seeing 1.
James Risdon
Reply to Jack Bell
No.
You don't provide policing solely on the basis of who pays for it the most. If that were the case, the rich would be very safe and the poor live in crime-infested ghettos.
You police based also on the need due the population density and the number of crimes being committed. You allocate police where they are needed.
A sprawling estate might well pay a bigger share of property taxes but if only three people live there behind a big wall with security cameras and their own private guards and never see anything remotely looking like a criminal, then it doesn't make sense to constantly send a police car there.
Instead, you take that police car and have it patrol a part of the city that suffers more from crime.
Jack Bell
Reply to James Risdon
"You police based also on the need due the population density and the number of crimes being committed."
So... why pay 10.7% if we only need and get 1% of the resources?
James Risdon
Reply to Jack Bell
When municipalities collect taxes to pay for services, they do so through property taxes. Those property taxes are calculated based on the municipality's mil rate and also the province's assessed value for the property.
So, if you live in a sparsely-populated but affluent neighbourhood, your property will be worth more and you'll pay more in property taxes than other people since you're all subject to the same mil rate.
It might not be "fair" but it's a commonly-accepted practice in Canada where the general consensus is that the rich should pay a higher proportion in taxes.
MR Cain
Reply to Jack Bell
People pay insurance and never get to use it.
David Amos
Reply to Jack Bell
Good question
Matt Steele
" Money to begin paying policing authority board members, another recommendation of the review, is also in this budget. Members of the three municipal councils appointed to the board would not be paid. "
Of course there will be more money to PAY the Board Members ; that will strike real fear into the hearts of criminals . All that money , and there won't be any decrease in crime , but there will be lots of traffic tickets issued as that is the low hanging fruit , and takes very little effort .
David Amos
Reply to Matt Steele
True
Holley Hardin
Another unforeseen consequence of our increased population plan...
Loran Hayden
Reply to Holley Hardin
Immigrants are far less likely to turn criminal than the locals.
David Amos
Reply to Loran Hayden
I disagree
Jack Straw
This is not going to reduce crime. I am glad I do not live in Moncton and have to pay for this waste of money.
Loran Hayden
Reply to Jack Straw
it's the only city in NB worth living in
James Risdon
Reply to Jack Straw
How do you figure that arresting more criminals and locking them away in jail will fail to reduce crime?
Loran Hayden
Reply to Jack Straw
more policing doesn't reduce crime - social programs do
James Risdon
Reply to Loran Hayden
Nonsense. When you arrest a drug dealer or rapist or murderer and lock him or her away in jail, you eliminate their ability to commit crimes while they are in jail.
Policing works.
James Risdon
Reply to Loran Hayden
Would you want the government to take criminals out of jail and dump them on your street?
James Risdon
Reply to Loran Hayden
Well, let's be clear: Bathurst is the best place.
Come to Bathurst - NB the best!!!
David Amos
Reply to Loran Hayden
Wow
David Amos
Reply to James Risdon
Need I say I happy to be where I am for rather obvious reasons?
Reply to David Amos
Who is "them"? They can't be RCMP officers because Edmonton has it's own force.
Where's your proof to what you say?