Ottawa: After months of uncertainty over the role of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said Tuesday that the government is committed to keeping Mounties engaged in day-to-day policing across the country, while prioritizing reforms to the federal crimes wing.
“Bottom line is, we could do both,” Anandasangaree said in an interview about the future of the storied — but increasingly strained — national police force. The interview was conducted prior to the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, where the RCMP are leading the investigation.
In recent years, the ability of the RCMP to handle both local and federal policing has come under scrutiny. Multiple reports have concluded that the force’s broad mandate is straining resources, diverting attention from federal cases to local ones.
The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) warned the Liberal government in 2023 that the RCMP’s current structure undermines its ability to pursue complex investigations, including those involving foreign interference, organized crime, and terrorism.
The same year, the Mass Casualty Commission, which investigated the 2020 Nova Scotia massacre that killed 22 people, recommended that the Public Safety Minister review and restructure the RCMP.
Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also called for reform in his final days in office, arguing that the Mounties’ dual focus strains resources and limits effectiveness. He suggested that the RCMP concentrate on national security, violent extremism, terrorism, money laundering, cybercrime, and organized crime.
In a departure from Trudeau’s position, Anandasangaree emphasized that the federal government remains committed to working with provinces to maintain RCMP contracts for local policing, which currently run until 2032. He said renegotiations will begin “in due course.”
However, the minister indicated that reforming federal policing will be the government’s priority. “What I’m focused on primarily is to ensure our federal policing mandate is secured and entrenched,” Anandasangaree said.
The comments highlight ongoing debate over the RCMP’s dual responsibilities as both a local and federal law enforcement body and the government’s intent to balance community policing with national security priorities.
