HRM RCMP GET TO STAY - FOR NOW!!
March 2, 2010, HRM Municipality Councillors voted to keep the RCMP on the outskirts of Halifax "for the time being."
"Mayor Peter Kelly said an overwhelming majority of councillors supported the status quo, though results of the private vote won't be released," the Chronicle Herald Reports. The report that the whole debate was based on now available online as well! The vote, the Chronicle Herald states, "comes at the end of two days of hot debate amongst the councillors who got the report from the municipality’s police commission that recommended the removal of the RCMP."
In summary, the following Advantages and Disadvantages of maintaining the status quo appeared in a side chart in the Chronicle Herald:
Maintaining the status quo
Advantages:
No disruption of service
RCMP rural expertise
HRP suburban expertise
Community impact minimalized
Federal perspective of RCMP
Maximized opportunity for provincial partners
Disadvantages:
Integration has gone as far as it can go
Duplication of administration and overhead
Presence of two providers results in increased potential for miscommunication
Lack of statutory accountability for RCMP to police commission
Furthers perception of divided municipality
Costs of future policing agreement (with RCMP) unknown.
Posted by Paulette Upshall
on March 3, 2010