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B.C. Premier Eby promises $230M in police funding for RCMP vacancies, new hires

VICTORIA — British Columbia Premier David Eby has announced $230 million in police and other public safety funding, the latest in a whirlwind series of commitments since he was sworn in last week.
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B.C. Premier David Eby announces a new public safety plan in Vancouver on Sunday, November 20, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

VICTORIA — British Columbia Premier David Eby has announced $230 million in police and other public safety funding, the latest in a whirlwind series of commitments since he was sworn in last week.

Eby says the funds will be used to fill vacancies in rural RCMP detachments and regional units, as well as to hire additional officers in specialized units such as major crimes, the sexual exploitation of children unit and money laundering. 

He says the funds, to be spent over three years, will also go toward support for prosecutors and probation officers dealing with violent, high-risk offenders.

Eby says in a statement that the funding, part of his government's Safer Communities Action Plan, will "help ensure that the RCMP can operate to its full capability to keep people safe."

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says the "historic commitment" to core RCMP funding took two years to achieve.

Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, the commanding officer of the B.C. RCMP, says in the statement he welcomes the funding because it will have a direct effect on public safety.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 23, 2022.

The Canadian Press

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