December 7, 2022

RCMP union calls for funding for proper equipment, air service strategy and training standards

The RCMP must acquire and implement “the technology necessary to immediately equip all specialized and unmarked vehicles with mobile workstations…and all members with GPS and mapping,” the union said, according to a Saltwire report.

While the Emergency Response Team (ERT) officers had a GPS tracking app installed on their work cell phones, the app was not working on the weekend of the massacre, according to the report.

The union also noted that there was confusion among officers in the field trying to track down the shooter. This calls for the RCMP to provide a summary of up-to-date key information during a critical incident, to be broadcast over the radio and through the Computer Aided Dispatch (DAO) system, at regular intervals so members can stay aware of the situation and assess the risk, wire of salt reported.

Additionally, during the incident, an RCMP helicopter was out of service as officers attempted to follow the shooter. The union recommends that the four Atlantic provinces and the federal government develop and implement an emergency air services strategy to ensure air support is available when officers need it.

The union also stressed the need to provide clear guidelines on training consistency to police departments, saying they do not reflect current training needs.