The proposed legislation that would help rural communities address safety concerns
The Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) is giving its support to proposed legislation changes that would expand the role of community safety officers.
On Wednesday, Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen met with the AMM regarding proposed amendments to the Police Services Act, which would expand the authority of community safety officers in rural and urban municipalities.
If the legislation is passed, municipalities will be able to operate their own community safety officer programs. It will also allow the safety officer to execute arrest warrants, manage crime scenes, and briefly detain people in certain circumstances.
“We’ve been working at, how do we have layered policing options, so that municipalities can find a way to have other types of enforcement, and then maybe relieve some of the pressure off of the RCMP on more traditional forms of policing,” Goertzen said.
AMM president Kam Blight said that he recognizes that not all municipalities can afford community safety officers, but it’s always valuable to have more options for enforcement.
“Enabling community safety officers to enforce provincial statutes and bylaws can assist police in focusing on other matters, while [community safety officers] can handle less severe incidents that often take up significant police resources and time,” he said.
Goertzen and Municipal Relations Minister Andrew Smith also renewed calls for the federal government to fund the back pay it negotiated for the RCMP. This call comes after the National Police Federation negotiated a pay increase for the RCMP retroactive to 2017, but left municipalities on the hook for a lot of money.
The AMM has been urging the federal government to absorb all retroactive salary costs immediately.
“We’re looking at, with some of the municipalities across Manitoba, that’s $5.1 million that they’re going to have to absorb,” Blight said.
“In some case that’s a five to 10 per cent tax increase just to cover the retroactive costs, never mind the costs going forward of the increased pay and salaries to the RCMP officers.”
Gortzen said the community safety officer bill is expected to pass in this session.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW AI helping to identify undiagnosed genetic disorders in children
Researchers have developed the world's first algorithm powered by artificial intelligence to identify children with undiagnosed rare genetic disorders.
Healthy diets with only 10% ultraprocessed foods may raise risk of cognitive decline, stroke
Eating more ultraprocessed foods is linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline and stroke, even if a person is trying to adhere to a Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet or the MIND diet, a new study found.
How does this end? With Hamas holding firm and fighting back in Gaza, Israel faces only bad options
Diminished but not deterred, Hamas is still putting up a fight after seven brutal months of war with Israel, regrouping in some of the hardest-hit areas in northern Gaza and resuming rocket attacks into nearby Israeli communities.
Toronto awarded WNBA's first franchise outside U.S., with expansion team set to begin play in 2026
Toronto has been awarded the WNBA's first franchise outside the United States, with the expansion team set to begin play in 2026.
Canada 7th in foreign aid spending, but a fifth goes to refugees inside the country
While Canada is one of the top contributors to foreign aid among some of the world's richest countries, a fifth of the spending never leaves Canada's borders.
Charlie Colin, founding member of the pop-rock band Train, dies at 58
Charlie Colin, bassist and founding member of the American pop-rock band Train, best known for their early-aughts hits like 'Drops of Jupiter' and 'Meet Virginia,' has died. He was 58.
With 2M seniors signed up and 10K providers, Holland defends dental plan rollout
Canada's dental care plan is 'getting there' Health Minister Mark Holland said Wednesday defending the program's rollout that's now seen two million seniors sign up, but just 10,000 oral health providers enrolled to treat them.
'We'll need all hands on deck': Details emerge after deadly boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
Police say they have wrapped up their on-scene investigation into a deadly boat crash in eastern Ontario as details of the incident begin to emerge.
Robert Pickton to remain in medically induced coma until later this week: police
Serial killer Robert Pickton will remain in a medically induced coma for at least the next few days following an attack in a Quebec prison Sunday, according to police spokesperson Hugues Beaulieu.