Statement: Report of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance Pre-Budget Consultations for Budget 2021

OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 17, 2021 /CNW/ - Following is a statement from Brian Sauvé, President of the National Police Federation, regarding the Report of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance Pre-Budget Consultations for Budget 2021.

"The National Police Federation welcomes the Report of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance's 2021 pre-Budget recommendations. However, we are surprised to see that a 2020 pre-Budget recommendation to strengthen the RCMP's recruitment and training capacity that the NPF made was not carried over to this year's list of recommendations.

Over the past year, the NPF has continuously asked parliamentarians for needed investments into recruitment and training capacity at the RCMP training academy in Regina, or "Depot", which have been significantly limited due to the impacts of COVID-19. This has created a critical backlog that will continue for years if appropriate investments are not made as soon as possible by the federal government. A lack of new recruits puts additional stress on those currently working, who must shoulder the burdens of an ever-increasing workload and rising levels of stress and burnout. Sustained and ongoing recruitment and training is key to public safety nationally, and in all communities where our Members serve.

We were pleased that the government announced new funding for the implementation of a national body-worn camera project in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement. Additional funding and resources are still needed to address human resource shortfalls, though, at the same time as the federal government continues to broaden RCMP Member mandates.

The NPF strongly encourages the federal government to invest in our remaining two 2021 pre-Budget recommendations – increased training capacity at the RCMP Academy, and the replacement of old and unsafe service pistols – which will result in better resourcing and safe tools for our Members to keep Canadians safe. The NPF continues to advocate for our Members and we look forward to seeing the federal government make strong, critical, investments for them."

About the National Police Federation:

The National Police Federation (NPF) was certified to represent ~20,000 front-line RCMP Members serving across Canada and internationally in the summer of 2019. The NPF is the largest police labour relations organization in Canada; the second largest in North America and is the first independent national association to represent RCMP Members.

The NPF is focused on improving public safety in Canada by focusing on increasing resources, equipment, training, and other supports for our Members who have been under-funded for far too long. Better resourcing and supports for the RCMP will enhance community safety and livability in the communities we serve, large and small, across Canada.

For more information:  https://npf-fpn.com/

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SOURCE National Police Federation

Fabrice de Dongo, Manager, Media Relations, [email protected], [phone]

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