Commitment to hiring 2,500 new police officers responds directly to FCM calls for stronger investments in community safety
Ottawa - The Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada, Tom Mulcair, today announced his party's plan to hire more front-line police officers. Following Mr. Mulcair's announcement,
FCM President Raymond Louie released the following statement.
"FCM is pleased that the New Democratic Party has pledged to invest significant resources to help make our cities and communities safer. We're also pleased that the NDP understands that working with municipalities as equal partners is critical to achieving this important goal.
Public Safety has long been a FCM priority. In June we released our Roadmap for Strong Cities and Communities, which includes practical solutions for making Canadian communities safer. Today's announcement responds directly to our calls to action.
Mr. Mulcair's plan to work alongside provinces, territories, municipalities and First Nations to hire and maintain 2,500 new police officers follows up on FCM's call for stronger investments in local policing. His commitment to re-establish the Police Officer Recruitment Fund as a permanent source of funding would help alleviate the financial burden on local budgets.
The nature of crime in Canada is changing. Local police forces are increasingly being called upon to take the lead on complex duties, from combatting terrorism to monitoring cyber-crime. Municipalities are already responsible for more than 60% of Canada's policing costs. Without additional funding, those costs are becoming unsustainable.
Today's announcement is an acknowledgment that the federal government must play a role in alleviating these growing costs. It will also help free up much-needed resources for local investments in successful early intervention and crime prevention programs.
All orders of government need to work together to meet the safety and security needs of our communities. FCM looks forward to hearing further commitments on municipal priorities from all parties during this election campaign."
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is the national voice of municipal government. In leading the municipal movement, FCM works to align federal and local priorities, recognizing that strong hometowns make for a strong Canada.