Codiac Regional Policing Authority member says more police officers are needed

A member of the Codiac Regional Policing Authority said Greater Moncton needs more police officers.

Irwin Lampert, a retired provincial court judge, made the comment after the authority discussed crime in the area.

"We're becoming a major metropolitan area with Moncton, Riverview, and Dieppe and we need, I think more police officers," he said.

Member Robert Arsenault expressed concern about issues like prostitution and drugs.

Codiac RCMP Superintendent Tom Critchlow said these are common issues right across the country.

"You'll find drugs and all [kinds] of things in every community across Canada and yes this community is growing, so everything grows with that including criminality," he said.

Lampert said part of the solution is more officers and right now some shifts are understaffed.

"You take the number you start from, the number they have in the detachment and then at all times you have officers out on sick leave and stress leave and paternity leave and vacation and you look at the number left to patrol the streets and you wonder how they do it," he said.

Getting budgets in line

Superintendent Tom Critchlow said when he arrived at the detachment just over two years ago he recognized the need for additional officers and came up with a multi-year plan.

Four officers were hired last year, and budgetary approval has been given to hire four more officers this year, hopefully within the next month or two.

Five officers will be hired in 2021, and five more in 2022.

Critchlow said although some shifts are understaffed, there are enough officers to respond to the demands.

"I believe at this time based on what we're looking at, it is enough. Can you use more, I suppose you know it's always, that would be a great problem to have wouldn't it?" Critchlow said.

But Irwin Lampert said it will take a few years before all of the new hires are in place and that doesn't help the situation right now.

He said the authority's job is to get information about staffing from the police, discuss it and come up with recommendations.

But they have to be adopted by three municipal councils and more officers means more money.

"Of course they're under a lot of pressure. They have expenditures in many areas so they have to allocate only so much in each area, so justifiably they have to watch the dollars and it's difficult for everyone," he said.

Lampert said ultimately, the authority has to come up with reasonable recommendations and councils will have the final say.