Nova Scotia Overhauls RCMP Billing, Adds 25 Officers to Enhance Policing

Nova Scotia is implementing a significant reform of its policing model, aligning with goals set out in the 2025 comprehensive policing review and the Mass Casualty Commission report. Justice Minister Scott Armstrong stated the changes aim to strengthen services, improve fairness, and ensure resources match public safety needs rather than municipal affordability.

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It is about strengthening services, improving fairness, and ensuring that resources are aligned with public safety needs, not simply what individual municipalities can afford.

Starting in October, municipalities will transition to a new RCMP billing model. This model shifts from paying for individual officers to basing resource allocation on factors like geography, population, and serious crime rates. Charcy Marchand, director of Public Safety and Policing, expressed hope that this will lead to appropriately staffed detachments capable of providing strong local support and fostering good relationships with municipal police agencies.

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What we’re hoping is that detachments will be appropriately staffed, they’ll be able to provide good support in their areas and they’ll also become good neighbours to municipal policing agencies across Nova Scotia.

The province's 2020 mass shooting inquiry recommended substantial changes to RCMP oversight and rural policing. The commission's report included 130 recommendations, with half focusing on policing. The new framework includes a provincial investment of an additional $16 million in 2026, followed by $18 million annually in subsequent years. This investment will support the hiring of 25 more RCMP officers.

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Investments in layered policing and community safety are important to provide services like mental health crisis response and wellness checks. Today’s decision, that asks municipalities to take on providing these services, risks creating new gaps in services between different communities.

Hayley Crichton, executive director for the Public Safety and Security Division, noted that the changes aim to lower the cost base for municipalities, mitigating the impact of inflation and status quo increases. Nova Scotia NDP justice critic Suzy Hansen welcomed the investments but voiced concerns that asking municipalities to provide services like mental health crisis response could create new service gaps. Armstrong, however, believes these changes will help address service gaps and empower municipalities to invest in their specific safety priorities, ensuring a system capable of responding to both daily policing needs and large-scale emergencies.

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We need to have a system that can respond to large issues, emergency issues, as well as day-to-day policing.