Mounties prioritize Manitoba officer applications in effort to reduce high vacancy rate in province – Winnipeg Free Press

The RCMP has begun giving priority to applicants for rank-and-file officers from Manitoba in a new attempt to reduce the highest level of vacancies in the national police service outside the territories.

Assistant Commissioner Scott McMurchy, commander of the Manitoba RCMP, said the vacancy rate for provincial contract police positions was just under 15 per cent in October.

“In the last few years, Manitoba has been lagging behind, I would say, in terms of human resources,” McMurchy said Tuesday. “Thanks to the commitment of the national program and all the commanders across the country, we are seeing a surge here with Manitoba becoming a priority in terms of applicants.”

Manitoba RCMP's unfilled vacancy rate is slightly higher than Saskatchewan's amid a nationwide staffing shortage. In some provinces the figure is between five and 10 percent.

The vacancy rate for Manitoba RCMP rose from six per cent in April 2021, the highest in Canada at the time, to about 15 per cent in January as officers from other provinces were asked to temporarily fill gaps, mostly in northern Manitoba.

The Manitoba RCMP has an internal assistance program in which officers are temporarily transferred to short-staffed detachments. If necessary, special units may be called.

Some shifts are performed by officers overtime. McMurchy said the service is mindful of that and is closely monitoring officers to make sure they don't burn out.

The most difficult region to staff is the North, where small units are located in remote, isolated communities.

“It goes without saying that Manitoba has a number of geographic challenges,” McMurchy said.

“It goes without saying that Manitoba faces a number of geographic challenges.”

Despite the shortage, he said the RCMP are “very good” at responding to calls, regardless of their priority.

McMurchy said the Manitoba RCMP is expected to be close to its goal of adding 100 officers in the 2025-26 fiscal year. He predicted it could take another year to get back to the five percent vacancy rate, a national goal.

To help with that, cadet training applicants from Manitoba should be fast-tracked and — if they pass the application and vetting process — placed on a unit with the intention of returning to the province after graduation, McMurchy said.

He said this is an ideal time for potential Manitoba recruits to apply.

Before the measure, about 70-75 per cent of Manitoba graduates returned to the province for their first jobs, according to an RCMP study.

Nationwide, the RCMP reported more than 21,000 claimants in 2024-25, an 18 per cent increase from the previous fiscal year.

McMurchy said Manitoba RCMP recruiters lead the country in recruiting candidates per capita.

The Manitoba Association of Municipalities is committed to working with the province and the RCMP to fill vacancies, given that crime and public safety are among its members' top concerns.

“We need to continue to make this a real problem, and we need to collectively work together to solve it,” said AMM President Kathy Valentino, who is an adviser in Thompson.

“The streets are not safe in rural Manitoba. We need to do something together to ensure police presence and safety in our communities.”

“We need to do something together to ensure police presence and safety in our communities.”

According to her, AMM came up with the idea of ​​providing incentives.

The Swan River RCMP detachment had seven of 19 officer positions vacant as of last week. Some were “soft” vacancies, which involve officers on leave for parental, medical or other reasons.

Additionally, the three-person General Investigations Unit, funded by the Manitoba government and four local municipalities, is yet to be fully staffed, nearly a year after the announcement.

“I'd be lying if I said it didn't impact service delivery,” Mayor Lance Jacobson said of the vacancies. “This is of great concern to us.”

The city of Portage la Prairie has a contract for 27 officers, but its staff is usually around 24 officers, Mayor Sharilyn Knox said.

“It's been a long time since we've had a full cast,” she said. “There is absolutely a need to bring more officers to Manitoba.”

“There is absolutely a need to bring more officers to Manitoba.”

In 2024, Portage launched a provincially supported public safety officer program to help with some tasks, including foot patrol and crisis response work.

Municipalities are already looking at March 2032, when the RCMP's current 20-year police service agreements expire.

“There needs to be meaningful consultation with municipalities about what's going on. Will there be another contract with the RCMP?” – said Valentino.

Unions representing civilian RCMP personnel have raised concerns about staffing. In March, CUPE 104, which represents operators and dispatchers, reported that nearly 43 per cent of positions across Canada were vacant.

Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe last week called on the federal government to “step up” recruitment efforts, while pointing to provincial funding for more RCMP positions. Public Safety Canada deferred comment from the RCMP.

Progressive Conservative justice critic Wayne Balcaen called the NDP government's funding announcements political stunts, given that staffing shortages are an open secret.

Brandon's former police chief said the shortage could erode public trust in the justice system and lead to higher levels of stress or burnout among remaining officers.

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