Minister Attends RCMP Graduation in Regina

A graduating troop of 32 men and women recently completed their training at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Academy, Depot Division. The Honourable Felix Collins, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, recently attended the graduation ceremonies in Regina, Saskatchewan, and inspected the cadets.

“It was a pleasure to meet these brave men and women as they embark on their new careers,” said Minister Collins. “They have undergone rigourous training in applied police sciences, police defensive tactics, firearms, driving and drill, deportment and tactics that will provide them with an excellent foundation as they move out to the communities in which they have been assigned. To see where our RCMP officers train was a great honour given how important they are to our communities in Newfoundland and Labrador.”

Under the provincial Police Services Agreement, the Provincial Government contributes approximately $1.1 million annually to the operations of the Depot Division. The full cost is shared proportionately among the Federal Government and other contract jurisdictions. The RCMP in Newfoundland and Labrador recruit on average between 40 to 70 people annually from this province who are trained at the Depot Division which is recognized as a world class training facility for law enforcement.

“The visit was critically important for informing our provincial partners on the world class training we provide at our training academy and the value our partners receive for their investment,” said Assistant Commissioner Bill Smith, Commanding Officer of the e RCMP "B" Division, who travelled with the minister during his visit.

The Provincial Government recognizes the importance of a well-resourced, effectively staffed police force, and since 2004 has added 144 uniformed police officers to the police forces and have increased policing budgets by over $46.7 million. Budget 2011 Standing Strong: For Prosperity. For Our Future. For Newfoundland and Labrador provided funding for a crime analyst in the Crime Reduction Strategy to be located in the Trinity-Conception District. The crime analyst will assist in the field by enabling the RCMP to better understand crime, crime trends, groups or individuals who are driving crime and to assist those who are most vulnerable to crime.

The Commanding Officer of the Depot Division is Assistant Commissioner Roger L. Brown who is from Newfoundland and Labrador.

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Photo #1: The Honourable Felix Collins, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, inspects the cadets at graduation ceremonies held in Regina, Saskatchewan

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2011 05 12                                                                                   1:05 p.m.