Eastern Charlotte council is concerned about the level of service the New Brunswick RCMP is offering in the region.
Mayor John Craig said the council spends about $2.2 million on policing, the single largest line item in its budget.
“Our options are very limited in what we can do,” Craig said during an interview with The Courier. “We’ve watched different areas of the province this past year or two.”
Coun. Darrell Tidd, a Ward 6 councillor in Eastern Charlotte, made a motion in July 2023 to drop the RCMP and adopt an alternative.
Craig said the council has been watching the Hartland area – which is about 22 kilometres from Woodstock – and the efforts they undertook to acquire its police force.
In March, then-Public Safety Minister Kris Austin rejected Carleton North and Hartland’s proposal to have its own police force, according to reporting by CBC New Brunswick.
The plan submitted, at the time, called for a regional force with about 20 officers and an operating budget of just over $3 million.
Fundy Shores, which is on the outer edge of Charlotte County but also partially exists in Saint John County, has also expressed dissatisfaction with the RCMP coverage. Craig said it is possible the two communities could join forces.
“Other areas in the province are in the same boat,” he said. “We’re probably not happy with what we’re paying.”
Craig said it would also consider exploring asking for the expansion of the Saint John Police Force – which is about 76 kilometers away from the community.
“Everybody is looking at different options,” he said.
Other municipalities exploring options
Fundy Shores Mayor Denny Cogswell said the community has been discussing policing since 2023. In a recent post to his mayoral Facebook page, he updated the community on the progress that’s been made.
“We are listening strongly to our community and will continue,” he said in the post.
The town has met with local RCMP and former Commander DeAnna Hill. It has also spoken with the Saint John Police Force and the Kennebecasis Police Force on their capacity and operations, but nothing formal.
Cogswell wrote there has been no formal meeting with Eastern Charlotte about a joint municipal force. Fundy Shores has also examined the study and report by Carleton North and Hartland – who were ultimately rejected.
“At the time there did not seem to be an appetite for a joint force locally or regionally (Southwest NB) for various reasons including economically,” Cogswell wrote in the post.
He said the council expressed gratitude for the frontline officers who’ve come to present to the council, adding it hoped frontline RCMP officers would be given the resources they need.
The RCMP has struggled across the country to recruit and retain officers. It has also promised to add 51 additional officers to New Brunswick, one of those planned for Southwestern New Brunswick.
“In the coming weeks, I will be meeting with the new Minister of Public Safety to follow up on the policing concerns as well as other public safety concerns in Fundy Shores,” he said in the post.
RCMP working through challenging times
The New Brunswick RCMP said in an email to The Courier statement it knows that people care about police work in their communities.
Cpl. Hans Ouellette, the spokesperson for the NB RCMP, said it is doing its best with the resources it has under its allocated budget, including mentioning the additional 51 officers slated for New Brunswick.
“NB RCMP policing resources are based on workload and other factors, not a minimum number of police officers. The allocation of police resources are measured against theses factors, while also considering factors such as the ratio of police to population and geography,” he said in a statement.
He said communities should be assured there are enough police officers to respond to urgent calls and keep the public safe.
“Every day, our members deliver an outstanding policing service in the communities where they live and work,” he said. “The past few years have been very challenging times.”
“RCMP officers are working in our communities regularly. That includes daily patrols and local enforcement, but there’s also work going on that you don’t necessarily see by way of a marked police car – through proactive police work, crime reduction and prevention efforts, and crime analysis. We target the individuals and crimes causing the most harm in the communities we serve.”
The NB RCMP is the only police force in the province with a full complement of specialized police services, he explains.
“These include but are not limited to the Internet Child Exploitation unit, Digital Forensic Services, Air Services and many others,” he said.
Ouellette said the NB RCMP continues to work closely with communities and partners to keep New Brunswickers safe.