British Columbia
Plans for new Surrey, B.C., police force on hold until next year - The Globe and Mail
The potential move could be more costly and affect the RCMP in other jurisdictions across the country
Vancouver city councillor defends wearing controversial thin blue line police patch | CBC News
A Vancouver city councillor who recently retired as a police officer is defending his choice to wear a thin blue line patch. The city's new mayor, Ken Sim, is also supporting Coun. Brian Montague's use of the controversial symbol.
'Big Red Machine' goes to work in Surrey police decision - Vancouver Is Awesome
Big political players, institutions and political considerations circle around the provincial government in deciding to approve a City of Surrey plan to maintain the RCMP.
City of Penticton will consider petitioning province, hiring additional staff to address public safety concerns - Penticton News - Castanet.net
Penticton City Council agreed to take the Community Safety Resource Review into consideration when setting their strategic priorities regarding community safety on Tuesday, after reviewing the lengthy report.
Alberta
Coun. Walcott warns Police Act changes a harbinger for political influence on Calgary Police Commission - LiveWire Calgary
'It doesn't feel good': Calgary police chief says of data showing morale at all-time low | CBC News
Morale within the Calgary Police Service is at an all-time low, with only 13 percent of CPS members feeling morale is “good” at work.
What got funded — and what didn't — in Edmonton city council's budget debate | CBC News
City council wrapped up three weeks of gruelling budget deliberations on Friday. The 2023-26 capital and operating budgets will steer how the city spends its money over the next four years — and ultimately determine how much tax property owners will end up paying.
Legal scholars raise constitutional, independence concerns about Alberta justice system reforms - The Lawyer's Daily
As 2022 comes to an end, Alberta is moving to make changes to the administration of justice and police oversight in the province. But legal observers are saying some of the moves raise questions about constitutional validity and independence from government.
Police Amendment Act Proposes Significant Reforms - - Canada
The first major reform of Alberta's policing act in over 30 years received royal assent on December 15, 2022. When brought into force, the Police Amendment Act, 2022 , among other things...
Province takes aim at social issues in Calgary | CTV News
The Alberta government has formed a special task force in an effort to address issues of addiction, homelessness and crime in Calgary.
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan's independent police oversight body to start operating Jan. 1
Saskatchewan's police oversight body will come into force in the new year, according to an order in council issued by the provincial cabinet on Dec. 7. The launch of the Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) was delayed from the government's original target of fall 2021. The team will investigate any death or serious injury involving police, including on- and off-duty municipal and RCMP officers. A spokesperson for Saskatchewan's Integrated Justice Services wrote in an email that four investigat
Scott Moe reflects on Sask. health care, affordability challenges in 2022 | CTV News
In a year-end interview with CTV News, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is looking ahead to 2023 and beyond, as the province works toward solutions to ongoing health care, affordability and homelessness challenges.
Police board, union sign new three-year agreement worth nearly 7% - MooseJawToday.com
Commissioner Dawn Luhning, board chair, Staff Sgt. Taylor Elder, president of the association, and Const. Kyle Cunningham, association secretary, signed the document during a ceremony at police headquarters on Dec. 20.
Moose Jaw Board of Police Commissioners and Police Association sign new three-year CBA - DiscoverMooseJaw.com - Local news, Weather, Sports, Free Classifieds and Job Listings
The Moose Jaw Board of Police Commissioners and Moose Jaw Police Association have signed a new three-year collective bargaining agreement. The new CBA is effective January of 2021 to December of 2023. The deal, signed December 20, will see police receive an increase of 6.65 per cent over the three years. The first increase will take place retroactively, effective January of 2021 at 1.1 per cent. The July 2021 increase was at .7 per cent. The increase in January of 2022 is 1.1 per cent, and July 2022 is .85 per cent. January of 2023 will see an increase of 2.9 per cent. July 2023 will see a 1.5 per cent reallocation of a benefit, concerning wages from guaranteed statutory holidays that police received in the previous contract. In the new agreement, police will give up five guaranteed stat days in exchange for 1.5 per cent, resulting in a zero net gain. googletag.cmd.push(function() { if($(document).width()<900) { s = googletag.defineSlot('/50748803/dmj-all-bigbox', [300, 250], 'div-gpt-1648064270259-bbm1'); s.setTargeting('URL', [window.location.pathname]); s.setTargeting('position', [1648064270259]) s.addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().refresh([s], {changeCorrelator: false}); } }); "There didn't seem to be a lot of back and forth on the same issue," said Dawn Luhning, board chair with the Board of Police Commissioners. "It seemed to maybe come back once, maybe twice and then it was over with. It wasn't like there were any acrimonious issues or combative issues. It was a very smooth process." Both parties were happy to see the deal signed without going to arbitration, which reduced the cost and maintained goodwill between the two groups. "It may have taken us a long period of time to settle this contract but the meetings we had with the Board and the Board's representatives, they went very smoothly," added Taylor Elder, president of the Moose Jaw Police Association. "We didn't spend a whole lot of time at the table. The time we did spend at the table was very beneficial and productive. We both feel this is a fair deal and we're both happy with the outcome of this contract." googletag.cmd.push(function() { if($(document).width()<900) { s = googletag.defineSlot('/50748803/dmj-all-bigbox', [300, 250], 'div-gpt-1648064270259-bbm2'); s.setTargeting('URL', [window.location.pathname]); s.setTargeting('position', [1648064270259]) s.addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().refresh([s], {changeCorrelator: false}); } }); One of the main concerns for the Police Association was to close the wage gap between officers in Regina and Moose Jaw.
Manitoba
Ontario
Sutcliffe 'confident' Ottawa police will restore trust | CTV News
Ottawa mayor Mark Sutcliffe says he feels confident the Ottawa Police Service will be able to regain the community’s trust after the 'Freedom Convoy' protest earlier this year.
Building trust with communities a top priority, new Toronto police chief says - Elliot Lake News
TORONTO — Building trust with communities in Toronto that feel police have failed them will be a top priority for the force, its new chief said Monday after being sworn in.
Myron Demkiw sworn in as Toronto’s new police chief | TheRecord.com
The 32-year police veteran takes over a force with a billion-dollar budget, in a city that has seen sustained levels of violent crime.
Saugeen 'state of emergency' to draw attention to opioid epidemic | CTV News
In the past year, 62 members of the Saugeen First Nation have overdosed on drugs, predominantly opioids, according to Chief Conrad Ritchie.
Hamilton police want $12M more than last year's $183M budget | CBC News
Hamilton’s Police Services Board is asking the city for a $12-million increase to the police budget for 2023, up 6.71 per cent from what the city paid for policing in 2022.
Barrie police anticipate surplus in 2022 operating budget - Barrie News
With only a few months left in the year, the Barrie Police Service is projecting an operating surplus of more than $110,000 for 2022
Separate, virtual, time-limited: Ottawa police board to consider a new approach to public participation at meetings | Ottawa Citizen
LGBTQ+ activists, community members raise concerns about Toronto's new police chief | CBC News
Chief Myron Demkiw was one of the officers involved in infamous Pussy Palace raid on bathhouse event for queer women and trans people in 2000.
Nova Scotia
N.S. shooting: New top Mountie says public wants to keep RCMP despite response | CTV News
The RCMP's new commanding officer in Nova Scotia believes the public wants a renewed relationship with his police force despite its widely criticized response to the 2020 mass shooting.
N.S. county where mass shooting occurred to seek proposals for policing alternatives | Globalnews.ca
Four questions with Nova Scotia's new RCMP boss | SaltWire
The new top Mountie in Nova Scotia has a big job ahead of him. The Mass Casualty Commission has raised concerns about the RCMP's performance before, during ...
Halifax police 'committed' to public's right to access information, chief says | CBC News
The Halifax Police chief says his department is responding to recommendations from the province’s privacy commissioner around the way the HRP handles access to information requests, following a CBC appeal.
New Brunswick
Police in Moncton schools 'highly problematic,' says racism report | CBC News
New Brunswick's systemic racism commissioner says placing police officers in Moncton-area high schools is "highly problematic" in a report released Monday.
Systemic racism report calls for N.B. task force, not the inquiry sought by First Nations | CBC News
The province’s commissioner of systemic racism is calling for "a task force focused on dismantling systemic racism in New Brunswick policing," but stops short of recommending a public inquiry into systemic racism against Indigenous peoples.
National
Border agency using radio equipment from Chinese company banned in the United States | CBC News
For the past five and a half years, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has been using communications equipment and technology from the controversial Chinese firm Hytera Communications — a company the United States government has blacklisted as a national security threat.
Freedom Convoy 2.0: Ottawa police already procuring equipment | CTV News
Ottawa's new police chief says his officers have already begun preparing for a possible reboot of the 'Freedom Convoy' protest next year, and vows there will not be a repeat of the occupation that took over downtown Ottawa for weeks last winter.
RCMP looks to expand its crisis teams to avoid violent conflicts during mental health calls | CBC News
The RCMP in Alberta is looking to expand its PACT teams — joint response teams that pair Mounties with health professionals to respond to mental health calls. But the units don't operate the same way everywhere, which means those dealing with addiction or mental health problems can't be certain a health-care worker will accompany police on a call.
Unanimous Decision of the Quebec Court of Appeal: Governments urged to end underfunding of Indigenous police services across Canada
/CNW Telbec/ - The federal and provincial governments are being called upon to accept the findings of the Quebec Court of Appeal in the matter of the...
RCMP museum should tell ‘the most difficult stories,’ report says - The Globe and Mail
Feedback suggests exhibits about RCMP’s role in residential schools, culling sled dogs and ousting gays from the Cold War civil service
If we want greater trust in our police, let's open up the process of hiring chiefs | CBC News
There is no reason why the final selection could not be more open. The usual explanation — protection of privacy — does not hold water in the case of a public figure who will exercise enormous power over the community, writes Alok Mukherjee.
International
Police reforms are often stopped by law enforcement unions
The power dynamic with some police unions has shifted. Some leaders have tried to lead change, others have made concessions and some are fighting it.
San Francisco Police Commission tables decision on proposal to limit traffic stops - ABC7 San Francisco
The goal of the proposal was to cut back on racial bias in policing, which has been drawing lots of comments and concerns.
Police reform: As officers quit, departments see chance for change
Police departments are trying to attract candidates who reflect the communities they serve, focusing on women, people of color and the LGBTQ+ community.